Papers and articles
Principles of External Defibrillators
By Hugo Delgado, Jorge Toquero, Cristina Mitroi, Victor Castro and Ignacio Fernandez Lozano
An open access publication on the importance of defibrillation and the development of external devices which charts everything from the history of the defibrillator through to the science of defibrillation and studies on the impact of early defibrillation on survival rates in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Study of postural vasovagal syncope and neuropathic postural tachycardia syndrome
5 April 2013, Recruitment of participants
The Center for Hypotension is recruiting participants aged 14-29 years old for a study of postural vasovagal syncope (VVS, postural faint) and neuropathic postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Exact mechanisms of illness have remained elusive although our past work shows that with upright posture blood is excessively relocated from the central pool to the splanchnic vasculature in both VVS and neuropathic POTS. This occurs because blood vessel contraction (vasoconstriction) is impaired when upright. We hypothesize that impairment occurs because of excessive production of nitric oxide (NO) which reduces the ability of the nerves to produce vasoconstriction.
If you choose to participate, we will perform a type of testing called lower body negative pressure (LBNP) during which we use a vacuum to redistribute blood to your legs while you remain supine. This simulates many findings of upright postural stress. We will perform simple noninvasive tests. On other days we will also use a technique called intradermal microdialysis in which several tiny tubes are placed in the uppermost layer of the skin, while we simultaneously measure blood flow. Two 3mm biopsy samples will be obtained from the skin of your calf. In addition, we will be administering several drugs - L-NMMA, Phenylephrine, and Sodium Nitroprusside through an IV placed in your arm and combine this with LBNP, along with microneurography that measures Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) using an acupuncture-like needle placed in a nerve behind your knee. Testing will take place over 5 days and you will be reimbursed 0 per day.
Anatomy for Cardiac Electrophysiologists
A superbly illustrated new book by Sabine Ernst and S. Yen Ho that integrates cardiac anatomy and state-of-the-art imaging techniques to guide readers to a comprehensive understanding of both normal cardiac anatomy and the structures associated with complex heart disease.
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Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation - patient satisfaction from a single-center UK experience
Abstract
Background Patient satisfaction is an indicator of quality of care and a key factor for patients' healthcare choices. Although atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is now common, there are no published data on patient satisfaction during this procedure.
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DECIDE Survey on public awareness of NICE clinical guidelines and their implementation
Asking, are NICE guidelines of help? Do patients access them, act upon a guideline or receive improved patient care as a result? This executive summary considers the responses.
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Irish Medical Times - Clinical update on falls and syncope
The most common reasons for emergency room attendances among people aged over 75 are falls and syncope — short periods of “temporary and self-limited loss of consciousness”, due to low brain blood flow. These are significant because of the potentially fatal cardiac causes that underlie them, Prof Rose-Anne Kenny, Head of the Department of Gerontology at TCD, said.
Heart - Underdrive pacing to terminate ventricular tachycardia
An 81 year old man was admitted in haemodynamically stable monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT).
Heart - The clinical management of relatives of young sudden unexplained death victims; implantable defibrillators are rarely indicated
Objective - Following national guidance on management of sudden unexplained death (SUD) in the young, inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) clinics were established to identify and treat relatives thought to be at increased risk.