scholarly journals Implantable loop recorder follow-up

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Pena Mellado ◽  
R Macias ◽  
L Tercedor ◽  
M Alvarez Lopez

Abstract Introduction Long ambulatory ECG monitoring can be a useful component in the evaluation of the patient with unexplained syncope or syncope with suspected arrhythmic origin, as well as a sensitive tool for detecting asymptomatic spontaneous cardiac arrhythmias or conduction abnormalities in predisposed patients. Purpose To determine the diagnostic cost-effectiveness of the implantable loop recorder (ILR) in the origin of unexplained syncope in our center. Methods A retrospective observational study was carried out in a tertiary center, those patients with an ILR between August 2014 and March 2021 were included. Baseline characteristics of the population and their previous ECG, arrythmias detected during follow-up and pacemaker implant rate were evaluated. Results One hundred twenty-seven patients with a ILR were included (age 67 years, 49.6% males). Most often cause of ILR was unexplained syncope (90.6%) followed by monitoring after TAVI implant (3.9%). Normal LVEF (>50%) was present in 85.6%,and 75.6% had NYHA I functional class. 118 patients (92.9%) presented sinus rhythm at implant time, and 8 (6.3%) presented AF. 12.6% presented first degree atrioventricular (AV) block, 2 patients (1.6%) had presented previously Mobitz Type I AV block and one patient 2:1 block. Left bundle branch block (LBBB) was present in 13.4%,RBBB in 3.1%,LAFB in 9.4%, RBBB+LAFB in 11% and RBBB+LPFB in 2.4%. Median time of follow-up was 21 months. 3rd degree AV block was the most frequent arrhythmia detected (12.1%), followed by >3s pause (8%) and previously unknown AF (2.4%).The patients with syncope who suffered head trauma (33%) presented a higher rate of pacemaker (PCM) implant compared to those without head trauma: 31.6% vs 14.7%. In total,19.8% PCM rate implant during follow-up. No complications ILR related. Conclusion In conclusion, long home ECG monitoring with ILR is a powerful and helpful tool to find out or rule out potentially dangerous arrhythmias as cause of syncope, with no complications in our experience. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Baseline characteristics Arrhythmias detected during follow-up

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Perings ◽  
C Wolff ◽  
A Wilk ◽  
A Witthohn ◽  
R Voss ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction In 30% of patients with syncope, the underlying cause remains unexplained after clinical investigations. Unexplained syncope tends to recur, significantly impacting patients' quality of life of patients and mortality. Thus, there is a need for timely and more accurate diagnosis to initiate treatment. Dedicated care pathways are recommended by ESC guidelines. Purpose Patients with recurrent syncope were followed over time and patient outcomes with ILR were compared to patients with the same syncope burden, age, gender and mortality risk score who did not receive an ILR. Method A representative database of 4.9 million patients insured by German company statuary health insurances (BKK) was analysed over a time period of 10 years, 2007–17. Patients with recurrent syncope (two times ICD-10 GM diagnosis codes R55), age between 45–84 and no diagnosis code for the syncope were included in the analysis and followed for at least 2 years. Patients with ILR were matched to patients without ILR based on age, gender and Charlson Comorbidity index (CCI) using mahalanobis distances. The index event was the device implant in the ILR group and the second syncope event in the control group. Life expectancy, syncope hospitalisations, fall related injuries, health care costs, diagnoses and treatment rates were compared between the groups. Results A total of 412 patients with ILR for recurrent unexplained syncope were matched to the control group. Overall mean age was 68, mean was CCI 2.7, 42% were females. The risk of death was 2.35 times higher in the control group during follow up as shown in Figure 1 (p-value logrank test <0.0001). Cardiovascular related diagnosis and treatment rates were higher in the ILR group with 69% of patients having a cardiology diagnosis compared to 41% in the control group. Over a quarter (27%) of ILR patients received an implantable cardiac device compared to 5% in the control group. Ablation rates were 7% in the ILR group compared to 0% in the control group. Median health care costs were € 3,847 higher in the ILR group including the costs of the ILR implant, follow up and higher rates of cardiac treatments. These extra costs appear moderate given the substantially higher mortality risk in the control group. Conclusion This study of patients with recurrent unexplained syncope shows a remarkable difference in life expectancy in patients with ILR compared to a matched control group. Two large claim data analysis have recently shown higher rates of cardiovascular death as well as all-cause mortality in patients with unexplained syncope. A more vigilant cardiac workup might be needed to identify a possible underlying cardiac condition. Higher rates of cardiac device therapy in the ILR group were likely to play an important role for their better life expectancy. Cardiac therapies such as pacemakers, defibrillators and ablation have also been shown to significantly improve patients' quality of life. Life Expectancy Comparison Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): The data analysis was funded by Medtronic


2005 ◽  
Vol 133 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 338-342
Author(s):  
Goran Milasinovic ◽  
Mirjana Zivkovic ◽  
Velibor Jovanovic ◽  
Vera Jelic ◽  
Dragutin Savic ◽  
...  

Introduction. The implantable loop recorder (ILR) is a new diagnostic tool in cardiology for establishing The causes of unexplained syncope in patients where standard conventional tests, invasive tests included, have failed. The device is a diagnostic "pacemaker," surgically implanted underneath the skin of the chest, with leads attached to the case of the device, not requiring endovenous lead implantation. Heart rhythm is monitored continuously on the basis of an endless loop, up to a maximum period of 14 months. Recording is carried out either by applying an outside activator whenever symptoms occur, or automatically, according to a preset algorithm for bradycardia, tachycardia, and/or asystolic detection. Objective. The aim of this study was to present this new diagnostic method as well as our first experiences with its implementation. METHOD We followed 5 patients (3 male, 2 female, mean age: 46.4?19) who had ILRs ("Reveal Plus," Medtronic Inc., USA) implanted at our centre, over a period of 14 months (7.6 ?5.5], concentrating on their clinical course, symptom occurrence, and electronically monitored heart rhythm at the time of ILR auto activation and/or recordings triggered by outside activation whenever a patient's symptoms were discernible. Results. In three patients, the ILR revealed syncope aetiology by documenting heart rhythm at the time of its occurrence. In one patient, involving a lethal outcome, the ILR was not explanted, so that the rhythm at the time of the fatal syncope, although assumed, remained undocumented, in one, most recently implanted patient, follow-up is still in progress. Conclusion. The implantable loop recorder represents an important innovation and a step forward in establishing the causes of recurrent syncope, which cannot be determined by standard invasive and non-invasive testing.


Author(s):  
Martha McGilvray ◽  
Nadia Bakir ◽  
Meghan Kelly ◽  
Samuel Perez ◽  
Laurie Sinn ◽  
...  

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, and results in significant morbidity and mortality. The Cox-Maze IV procedure (CMP-IV) has been shown to have excellent efficacy in returning patients to sinus rhythm, but there have been few reports of late follow-up in sizable cohorts of patients with longstanding persistent AF, the most difficult type of AF to treat. Methods & Results: Between May 2003 and March 2020, 174 consecutive patients underwent a stand-alone CMP-IV for longstanding persistent AF. Rhythm outcome was assessed postoperatively for up to 10 years, primarily via prolonged monitoring (Holter monitor, pacemaker interrogation, or implantable loop recorder). Fine-Gray regression was used to investigate factors associated with atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATA) recurrence, with death as a competing risk. Median duration of preoperative AF was 7.8 years (interquartile range [IQR] 4.0-12.0 years), with 71% (124/174) having failed at least one prior catheter-based ablation. There were no 30-day mortalities. Freedom from ATAs was 94% (120/128), 83% (53/64), and 88% (35/40) at 1, 5, and 7 years, respectively. On regression analysis, preoperative AF duration and early postoperative ATAs were associated with late ATAs recurrence. Conclusion: Despite the majority of patients having a long-duration of preoperative AF and having failed at least one catheter-based ablation, the stand-alone CMP-IV had excellent late efficacy in patients with longstanding persistent AF, with low morbidity and no mortality. We recommend consideration of stand-alone CMP-IV for patients with longstanding persistent AF who have failed or are poor candidates for catheter ablation.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weeranun D Bode ◽  
Michael F Bode ◽  
Megan Zhao ◽  
Rahul Sakhuja ◽  
Michael A Fifer ◽  
...  

Introduction: The most common complication of alcohol septal ablation (ASA) is periprocedural high grade AV block (HGAVB). No long-term follow-up of cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) utilization after ASA has been reported. Hypothesis: Pacemaker dependence on long-term follow up can be predicted by ECG or procedural characteristics. Methods: We analyzed all patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who underwent ASA from December 1998 to December 2019 at our institution and received their first CIED within 30 days after ASA for HGAVB. All available follow-up interrogations were reviewed. CIED dependence was defined as ventricular pacing of ≥5%. CIED programming was determined by the patients’ cardiologists' discretion. Results: A total of 103 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy underwent ASA. The average follow up duration was 10.1 years. Within 30 days after ASA, a total 25 patients received a CIED for HGAVB. On long term follow-up 16 patients (64%) were found to be CIED-dependent. Baseline characteristics, including pre and post-ASA ECG, were not significantly different between dependent and non-dependent patients (Table). The only predictor for CIED dependence was >1 ml of alcohol injected during ASA (OR 6.0, p<0.046). Conclusions: CIED implantation after ASA is common. Almost two thirds of patients who received CIED for postprocedural HGAVB were CIED-dependent on long term follow up. CIED dependence can be predicted by amount of injected alcohol >1 ml during ASA.


EP Europace ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. I. Chrysostomakis ◽  
N. C. Klapsinos ◽  
E. N. Simantirakis ◽  
M. E. Marketou ◽  
D. C. Kambouraki ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims The newer insertable loop recorder device (Reveal Plus 9526, Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis MN, U.S.A.) is equipped with auto-activation capabilities. In this study we investigated whether the new device encounters sensitivity problems in the form of oversensing or undersensing. We also tested whether body position changes influence the sensed electrogram's amplitude, therefore affecting the device's autosensing ability. Methods and results We enrolled 32 patients aged 58·1±11·7 years with a loop recorder implanted either in the left parasternal or in the heart's apex area, to investigate undiagnosed syncopal episodes after initial assessment. During the follow-up period (5·7±2·7 months), that began 6 months after the device implantation, we analysed 284 auto-recorded episodes (103 undersensed and 181 correctly sensed). No oversensing episodes were recorded. The recorded QRS amplitude in five different body positions: supine, left and right lateral, sitting and standing was measured. No statistically significant changes were observed in the different postures. Even when patients were divided into subgroups according to implant site or the occurrence of undersensing episodes, no significant inter- or intra-group differences of the sensed electrogram were observed. Conclusion Undoubtedly this device is the current gold standard for the diagnosis of unexplained syncope. In the population we studied though, the device faced undersensing problems. Consequently, the device should be equipped with more advanced software for QRS morphology recognition, to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the recorder.


EP Europace ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1475-1479 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Vitale ◽  
A. Ungar ◽  
R. Maggi ◽  
M. Francese ◽  
M. Lunati ◽  
...  

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