"Cardioversion" AND "Emergency"

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT) could be a suitable method for acute exclusion of left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) prior to cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) at the emergency department. Our aim was to present our experiences with this modality in recent years. METHODS: This registry-based observational study was performed at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. We studied all consecutive patients with AF and AFL who underwent CT between January 2012 and January 2023 to rule out LAAT before cardioversion to sinus rhythm was attempted...

Obesity significantly increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) and evidence from randomized trials indicates that weight loss may reduce the burden of AF/AFL in obese patients; however, the relationship between obesity and healthcare resource utilization in AF/AFL patients is lacking. We sought to assess this relationship in patients with newly diagnosed AF/AFL in a nationally representative cohort of the United States by using the MarketScan® claims database. International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision [ICD 10] diagnosis codes were used to select individuals with a new diagnosis of AF/AFL in 2017 and 2018, adjudicate baseline variables and to classify them according to obesity status...

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a biventricular disease in which the effect on the left ventricle can be either equivalent to or more severe than that on the right ventricle. It is a rare disease due to its low reported prevalence and typically becomes clinically evident during the second to fourth decade of life. It represents 4% of sudden cardiac death cases referred for autopsy and 10% of cases of unexplained cardiac arrest. We present a challenging case report of a 68-year-old man who arrived at the emergency room with chest discomfort, palpitations, and light-headedness before a syncopal episode with urinary incontinence...

An electrical storm also known as a ventricular tachycardia storm (VT storm) tends to recur and form a vicious cycle, eventually leading to a refractory electrical storm, refractory to electrical and pharmacological cardioversion. The treatment of refractory VT storm is challenging. Here we discuss the case of a middle-aged gentleman who presented to our emergency department 6 months apart with a refractory VT storm. When all the anti-arrhythmic agents and multiple cardioversion attempts failed in terminating the storm, we attempted ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block...

BACKGROUND: The implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as a bridge to transplantation or as destination therapy in end-stage heart failure patients is frequently complicated by the emergence of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). These arrhythmias have been implicated in precipitating deleterious clinical outcomes, increased mortality rates and augmented healthcare expenditures. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a challenging case of a 49-year-old male with a history of dilated cardiomyopathy who received an LVAD...

Synchronous electrical cardioversion is a relatively common procedure in the emergency department (ED), often performed for unstable supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT). However, it is also used for stable cases resistant to drug therapy, which carries a risk of deterioration. In addition to the inherent risks linked with procedural sedation, there is a possibility of malignant arrhythmias or bradycardia, which could potentially result in cardiac arrest following this procedure...

OBJECTIVES: Acute atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF/AFL) are common arrhythmias treated in the emergency department (ED). The 2021 CAEP Best Practices Checklist provides clear recommendations for management of patients with acute AF/AFL. This study aimed to evaluate physician compliance to Checklist recommendations for risk assessment and ED management of AF/AFL. METHODS: This health records review assessed the management of adult patients presenting to two tertiary care EDs for management of acute AF/AFL from January to August, 2022...

IMPORTANCE: Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), defined as tachyarrhythmias that originate from or conduct through the atria or atrioventricular node with abrupt onset, affects 168 to 332 per 100 000 individuals. Untreated PSVT is associated with adverse outcomes including high symptom burden and tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy. OBSERVATIONS: Approximately 50% of patients with PSVT are aged 45 to 64 years and 67.5% are female. Most common symptoms include palpitations (86%), chest discomfort (47%), and dyspnea (38%)...

BACKGROUND: Despite modern techniques for ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT), the procedure faces challenges such as deep intramural substrates or inaccessibility of the pericardial space. We aim to present a case of successful surgical treatment of a patient with drug-refractory VT, an apical aneurysm, large left ventricular (LV) thrombus, and recurrent implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shocks following failed epicardial catheter ablation. CASE SUMMARY: A 67-year-old male with a history of ischaemic cardiomyopathy was brought to the emergency room after a syncope because of VT...

AIMS: Prior studies suggest that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) may decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is unknown whether SGLT2i can attenuate the disease course of AF among patients with pre-existing AF and Type II diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, our objective was to examine the association between SGLT2i prescription and arrhythmic outcomes among patients with DM and pre-existing AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of adults with DM and AF between 2014 and 2019...

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a vascular ophthalmic emergency. Often caused by a sudden interruption of blood flow to the eye, with profound and painless vision loss, resulting in irreversible cell damage. An impacted embolus at the narrowest part of the central retinal artery is the most common cause. Cardioversion is a medical procedure used to restore a normal heart rhythm in individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF). In some cases, cardioversion can lead to thromboembolic complications. If an embolus reaches the central retinal artery, it can block the blood flow to the retina, resulting in CRAO and subsequent vision loss...

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Neonatal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) poses unique challenges in diagnosis and management, with refractory cases requiring synchronized cardioversion being exceptionally rare. This case report explores the presentation and management of refractory SVT in a neonate, emphasizing the significance of sharing such clinical scenarios. CASE PRESENTATION: A 16-day-old neonate, born via emergency caesarean section, presented with respiratory distress, poor feeding, and vomiting...

Pregnancy is closely associated with an elevated risk of arrhythmias, constituting the predominant cardiovascular complication during this period. Pregnancy may induce the exacerbation of previously controlled arrhythmias and, in some instances, arrhythmias may present for the first time in pregnancy. The most important proarrhythmic mechanisms during pregnancy are the atrial and ventricular stretching, coupled with increased sympathetic activity. Notably, arrhythmias, particularly those originating in the ventricles, heighten the likelihood of syncope, increasing the potential for sudden cardiac death...

BACKGROUND: We sought to improve the immediate and subsequent care of ED patients with acute atrial fibrillation (AF) and flutter (AFL) by implementing the principles of the CAEP AF/AFL Best Practices Checklist. METHODS: This cohort study included three periods: before (7 months), intervention introduction (1 month), and after (7 months), and was conducted at a major academic centre. We included patients presenting with an episode of acute AF or AFL and employed multiple strategies to support ED adoption of the CAEP Checklist...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

PURPOSE: The available evidence to determine which antidysrhythmic drug is superior for pharmacologic cardioversion of recent-onset (onset within 48 h) atrial fibrillation (AF) is uncertain. We aimed to identify the safest and most effective agent for pharmacologic cardioversion of recent-onset AF in the emergency department. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to February 21, 2023 (PROSPERO: CRD42018083781). Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials that enrolled adult participants with AF ≤ 48 h, compared a guideline-recommended antidysrhythmic drug with another antidysrhythmic drug or a different formulation of the same drug or placebo and reported specific adverse events...

This clinical review is intended to assist emergency physicians manage patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with acute/recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) or flutter (AFL). This article is based primarily on the 2021 Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) Acute Atrial Fibrillation/Flutter Best Practices Checklist. We encourage readers to download the open access CAEP Checklist article (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43678-021-00167-y) and the free smartphone app (CAEP Atrial Fibrillation Guide)...

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a clinical pre-excitation syndrome often strongly associated with tachyarrhythmias that are predominantly atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia (AVRT). It is generally considered to be a relatively benign arrhythmogenic condition associated with a slightly higher risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in comparison to the general population. Epidemiological data suggests that 0.1%-0.3% of the general population have electrocardiographic (ECG) findings suggesting that during sinus rhythm, in addition to atrioventricular (AV) conduction over the AV node-His bundle pathway, there is an additional atrioventricular conduction across an accessory pathway...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia presenting in emergency departments (EDs), vastly increasing mainly due to society's lifestyles leading to numerous comorbidities. Its management depends on many factors and is still not unified. Aims: The aim of this study was to compare different AF management strategies in the ED and to evaluate their influence on the length of stay (LOS) in the ED and their safety. We analyzed medical records over 3 years of data collection, including age, primary AF diagnosis, an attempt to restore sinus rhythm, complications, and length of stay...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.