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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FDA approves multisite vessel closure system for EP procedures

The FDA has granted premarket approval to Cardiva Medical’s vascular closure system for use during electrophysiology procedures such as cardiac ablation and left atrial appendage closure, the company announced Dec. 18.

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1st AI-driven wearable heart monitor to hit market in early 2019

U.K.-based startup Cambridge Heartware has announced the launch of its company and its first product, a wearable heart monitor powered by artificial intelligence, in early 2019.

Heart device infection rates low for both antibiotic regimens in randomized trial

A trial designed to test the effectiveness of additional antibiotic prophylaxis before and after cardiac electronic device implantation found that such an approach did not significantly lower the rate of subsequent infections, although there was a trend in that direction.

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EMS response slower for cardiac arrest in low-income areas

It takes emergency medical services (EMS) almost four minutes longer to transport cardiac arrest patients from poor neighborhoods to the hospital versus those from high-income neighborhoods, according to a study of 2014 United States EMS data published in JAMA Network Open.

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AFib signals worse outcomes in patients with ICDs

Atrial fibrillation could be an independent predictor of worse outcomes in heart patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), according to a meta-analysis published this November in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Blacks with AFib 37% less likely to receive DOACs

Regardless of clinical and socioeconomic factors, black patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are significantly less likely than whites and Hispanics to receive appropriate treatment with oral anticoagulants (OACs), researchers reported Nov. 28 in JAMA Cardiology.

Direct transfer to resuscitation center doubles odds of OHCA survival

People who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are nearly twice as likely to survive if they are transferred directly to a hospital with 24-hour capability to perform PCI or targeted temperature management (TTM) versus another center, according to a meta-analysis published Nov. 28 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Forbes: ‘Hearables’ could be next wearable to revolutionize healthcare

When consumers think of wearable personal health devices, they likely picture smartwatches or other wrist-worn gadgets. But as Forbes pointed out in a Nov. 26 article, new headphone-type wearables—dubbed “hearables”—have already grown into a $5 billion market and offer unique capabilities.

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Around the web

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Use of AI opportunistic screening in CT for cardiovascular disease

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

Health Imaging
New imaging protocols proposed to curb rise of cardiovascular infections

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