CLINICAL EVENTS CALENDAR
- Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 15:00The American Heart Association Scientific Sessionshttp://www.scientificsessions.org
- Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 00:00Brisbane, Australiahttp://www.aameda.org
- Friday, November 21, 2008 - 00:00EnSite 3D Mapping System Workshophttp://www.tcainstitute.com
- Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 15:001st Asia-Pacific Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Session (APHRS 2008)http://www.aphrs2008.com
Features
Lead Management is More Than Just Extraction
Many factors have led to a dramatic expansion in the implantation of cardiac rhythm management devices such as pacemakers (PCM), implantable defibrillators (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRT). This includes an aging population, expanded indications for ICD therapy and the role of CRT in the management of heart failure.1-4
A New Standard for Determining the Cause of Unexplained Sudden Death: Interview with Dr. Michael H. Gollob
There is a new protocol of conducting autopsies for cases of unexplained cardiac death; the new standard was developed by the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Dr. Michael Gollob is the director of the Inherited Arrhythmia Clinic and Arrhythmia Research Laboratory, located at The University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Canada.
What brought about this new standard of conducting autopsies in cases of unexplained cardiac death?
EP 101: What You See Is Not Always What You Get
Case Presentation
A 63-year-old male without structural or ischemic heart disease has a history of longstanding paroxysmal palpitations that stop with vagal maneuvers. He underwent spinal fusion surgery for low back pain without complications. On post-operative day 2, atrial flutter (AFL) was recorded with a 2:1 response rate (Figure 1), easily seen after 6 mg of IV adenosine was administered. Initial medical therapy failed to control the episodes and/or the rate. An electrophysiology study was undertaken to study and ablate atrial flutter.
2008 ACC/AHA/HRS Guidelines for Device-Based Therapy of Cardiac Rhythm Abnormalities: Clinical Implications
Dr. Liem provides a brief summary on the recently revised ACC/AHA/HRS guidelines for device-based therapy.
The 2008 ACC/AHA/HRS Guidelines for Device-Based Therapy of Cardiac Rhythm Abnormalities1 are a further expansion to those published in 2002. There were significant modifications to the 2002 AHA/ACC/NASPE guidelines, mainly by incorporation of the ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 guidelines for sudden death prevention.2,3 Also importantly, these evidence-based guidelines reflect recently published data and therefore incorporate additional recommendations accordingly, with the most notable being items relating to cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Patient Perspectives: Inside the Life of a Young EP Patient
Michaela Gagne, Miss Massachusetts 2006.
Friday, April 21, 2000 was a day I will never forget. I was 17 years old and sitting at the dinner table, about to take my first bite of salad, when the phone rang. My mom answered, and soon the tears began streaming down her face.
I knew right away that the tears were for me.
The doctor was calling to confirm I had the life-threatening heart condition called long QT syndrome (LQTS). For two years we had waited for an answer as to why I had collapsed at the finish line during a track meet. After that, my world as I knew it came crashing down. I realized I would now have to live my life without the one thing I had felt most defined me: sports.
Meeting EP Administrators’ Challenges: Suggestions on Best Business Practices in the EP Lab
While electrophysiologists and clinical staff deal with the critical physiological aspects of electrophysiological (EP) procedures, the EP laboratory’s administrators must handle critical concerns of a different sort: business issues that determine the financial viability of their programs. This article will address some of the most common challenges that can impact the fiscal success of any EP program. Some solutions to these challenges are suggested, based on the successful experiences shared by a group of EP administrators who met for the purpose of discussing these issues at the Administrators Advisory Board sponsored by Biosense Webster, Inc.
1. Operative Reports
Complete operative reports and reports that are prepared with the needs of coders/billers in mind are very helpful in streamlining the process of coding and in conveying the information clearly to payers. One way of accomplishing this is to create a template that includes the following:
Using the LifeVest as a Bridge to ICD Implantation: One Urban Community Hospital’s Experience
At the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in 2004, the results of the Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial (SCD-HeFT) were first announced publicly and subsequently published.1 This led to expanded Medicare coverage of primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) on January 27, 2005. All patients with an ejection fraction (EF) of 35% or less with NYHA class II or III congestive heart failure (CHF) became eligible to receive primary prevention ICDs. The cause of the reduced EF (ischemic or non-ischemic) did not matter.
There were, however, a number of caveats thrown into the coverage decision:
• If a patient had experienced a recent MI, there was to be a 40-day waiting period;
• If the patient was revascularized, either by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), then there was to be a 90-day waiting period.
New HRS/EHRA Expert Consensus on Monitoring of Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices:
What This Means for the Allied Health Professional
Allied health professionals play a major role in the follow-up of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). A recently released consensus document from the HRS and EHRA contains recommendations for follow-up for specific types of devices and provides guidelines for performance for the specific personnel involved in giving care to these patients. This article will discuss general issues of follow-up and then will look at recommendations related to the allied health professional.
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CME Showcase
 The Use of Remote Robotic Navigation in Complex Arrhythmias Complimentary Accredited Web Archive This activity is designed for electrophysiologists and EP allied professionals.
Diagnosing Coronary Artery Disease: Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Solutions Symposium for Advances on Treatment Options for the AF Patient A-fib Ablation: |
 New Standards of Care for CRMD Antibiotic Protection Complimentary CME Accredited Webcast Dates: November 18, 2008 Time: 6:00 pm ET November 19, 2008 Time: 3:00 pm ET This activity is sponsored by the North American Center for Continuing Medical Education. |
 LUMEN 2009 - THE SYMPOSIUM ON OPTIMAL TREATMENTS FOR ACUTE MI Live Symposium Date: February 26-28 Location: Loews Miami Beach Hotel Miami Beach, Florida 33139 |
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