Heart Rhythm

Hearts should have normal rhythm to their beats, but when these beats are out of synch, it causes inefficient pumping of blood. Irregular heart arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart's beats do not work properly. This can cause beats that are too fast (tachycardia), or too slow (bradycardia). Tachycardias include atrial fibrillation (AFib), supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Bradycardias include sick sinus syndrome and conduction block. Electrophysiology arrhythmia treatments include medications, life style changes, and the EP lab interventions of catheter ablation, and implantable pacemakers or defibrillators.

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CIED infection rates on the rise

The incidence of CIED infection in the U.S. has been increasing for the past two decades, according to work published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology this month.

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Algorithmic Potential: Leveraging Deep Learning to Improve Arrhythmia Identification & Classification

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a hot tool for diagnosing rhythm disorders.

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30% of ICD patients drive illegally after procedure

More than 30% of Danish heart patients with an ICD resume driving during a “banned period” following their index procedure, researchers reported at the ESC Congress in Paris on Sept. 3.

Orchestra BioMed earns CE mark for BackBeat cardiac neuromodulation therapy

Orchestra BioMed, Inc., on Sept. 4 announced it received CE mark approval for its Moderato implantable pulse generation system, which delivers the company’s trademarked cardiac neuromodulation therapy to patients while simultaneously acting as a pacemaker.

Photoplethysmography promising as AFib screening tool

Continuous at-home monitoring with smart device-based photoplethysmography technology could be a viable strategy for AFib screening and early detection, according to a population-level study out of China.

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Algorithm spots AFib in seemingly normal EKGs

A study of more than 181,000 patients at the Mayo Clinic has proven the efficacy of an AI algorithm in spotting AFib on seemingly normal EKGs, the Daily Mail reports.

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Researchers pinpoint the ideal chest compression-depth ratio for OHCA survival

A combination of 107 chest compressions per minute at a depth of 4.7 centimeters is the optimal CCR-CCD (chest compression rate-chest compression depth) ratio for survival after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, researchers reported August 14 in JAMA Cardiology.

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Selective vs. non-selective His bundle pacing: Which is safer?

Non-selective His bundle pacing is noninferior to selective HBP in patients undergoing de novo permanent pacemaker implantation for bradycardia, according to a study that revealed similar outcomes for death and HF between the two therapies.

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.