Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing
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J Interv Card Electrophysiol · Aug 2017
Health care utilization among adenosine-sensitive supraventricular tachycardia patients presenting to the emergency department.
Although adenosine-sensitive supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is generally curable, it remains an important cause of healthcare utilization. We sought to determine predictors of health care utilization among SVT patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Readily modifiable clinical factors, including a previous visit to an electrophysiologist and treatment with catheter ablation, are associated with reduced health care utilization among patients presenting to the ED with SVT.
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J Interv Card Electrophysiol · Aug 2017
Repeat procedures using the second-generation cryoballoon for recurrence of atrial fibrillation after initial ablation with conventional radiofrequency.
Pulmonary vein isolation is now widely accepted for the treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs. However, multiple procedures are often required to significantly reduce atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence. In the present study, we analyzed the acute results and the midterm clinical outcome of a second-generation cryoballoon ablation (CB-A) performed during repeat procedures for recurrence of AF after an initial procedure performed with conventional radiofrequency (RF). ⋯ The second-generation CB is effective in treating recurrence of AF after a previous ablation performed with conventional RF. Considering a 3-month blanking period, 83% of the patients were free from any atrial tachycardia recurrence during a 15-month follow-up. This approach proved particularly successful in patients affected by paroxysmal AF.