scholarly journals DIAGNOSIS OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN HEART FAILURE PATIENTS WITH IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATOR OR CARDIAC RESYNCHRONISATION THERAPY.

Author(s):  
Barbara Dominik ◽  
Mitkowski Przemyslaw ◽  
Wojciech Zorawski ◽  
Ilona Kowalik ◽  
Adam Ciesielski

IntroductionImplantable cardioverter defibrillators register various types of arrhythmias. Thus they can be exploited to better identify patients with atrial fibrillation episodes and increase the proportion of patients who may benefit from implementation of pharmacological prophylaxis of thromboembolic events, most of which it turns out are asymptomatic.Material and methodsAssessment of the frequency, symptoms and predisposing factors for the occurrence of atrial fibrillation episodes in patients with implanted ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) and CRT-D (cardiac resynchronisation therapy with defibrillator) based on the analysis of intracardiac electrocardiograms (IEGM) records. The study included 174 consecutive outpatient cases with heart failure, sinus rhythm and Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator and Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy with Defibrillator. Control visits with analysis of IEGM records occurred every three months. During mean follow-up of 20 months, 901 visits were carried out. 147 patients had at least one year of follow-up.ResultsAtrial fibrillation episodes in the study group occurred in 54 (31.0%) of patients and 71.4% were asymptomatic. Predisposing factors were: history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (37.0% vs 13.3%, p ˂ 0.001), atrioventricular conduction abnormalities (42.6% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.002), intraventricular conduction abnormalities (59.3% vs 40.8%, p = 0.02) and more severe mitral regurgitation (7.4% vs 0.8%, p = 0.04). Chronic renal disease was a risk factor for death in the study group. No stroke occurred during the study.ConclusionsEpisodes of paroxysmal AF in patients with systolic heart failure and implanted cardioverter-defibrillator systems are quite common. The majority of the episodes recorded in the study were asymptomatic.

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Dominik ◽  
Wojciech Zorawski ◽  
Ilona Kowalik ◽  
Adam Ciesielski ◽  
Przemyslaw Mitkowski

Introduction: Implantable cardioverter defibrillators due to the possibility of continuous recording of intracardiac electrograms can detect episodes of atrial fibrillation. In practice, this allows better identification of patients with asymptomatic AF episodes, thus increasing the proportion of patients who may benefit from pharmacological prophylaxis of thromboembolic events, particularly stroke. Hypothesis: If intracardiac electrogram analysis should be part of each visit carried out in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator, how much of detected episodes of atrial fibrillation is asymptomatic. Methods: The study included 174 consecutive outpatient cases with heart failure, sinus rhythm and implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator and Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy with Defibrillator. Control visits with analysis intracardiac electrograms records occurred every three months. Each AF episode stored in the device’s memory lasting at least 30 seconds was considered an episode of atrial fibrillation. A symptomatic episode was considered when arrhythmia led to ICD shock, heart deterioration, collapse or fainting, palpitations, weakness, chest pain or shortness of breath accompanied by a feeling of irregular heartbeat. During mean follow-up of 20 months, 901 visits were carried out. 147 patients had at least one year of follow-up. Results: Atrial fibrillation (AF) episodes in the study occurred in 54 (31.0%) patients. Of the 241 atrial fibrillation episodes recorded in the device’s memory, 71.4% were asymptomatic. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of new episodes of atrial fibrillation (P = 0.384) in the study group with a history of stroke or transient ischemic episodes during follow-up. However, asymptomatic AF episodes were more common in stroke patients (P = 0.0074). In the time of observation in the whole group of patients there were no new strokes and transient ischemic attack. Conclusion: In conclusion, detection of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation episodes based on intracardiac electrocardiogram records is effective method. In the study group, such episodes were up 71.4% of all newly detected AF episodes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (13) ◽  
pp. 1399-1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse F Veenis ◽  
Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca ◽  
Gerard CM Linssen ◽  
Peter R Geerlings ◽  
Marco WF Van Gent ◽  
...  

Background Elderly patients are underrepresented in clinical trials but comprise the majority of heart failure patients. Data on age-specific use of heart failure therapy are limited. The European Society of Cardiology heart failure guidelines provide no age-specific treatment recommendations. We investigated practice-based heart failure management in a large registry at heart failure outpatient clinics. Design and methods We studied 8351 heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients at 34 Dutch outpatient clinics between 2013 and 2016. The mean age was 72.3 ± 11.8 years and we divided age into three categories: less than 60 years (13.9%); 60–74 years (36.0%); and 75 years and over (50.2%). Results Elderly heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients (≥75 years) received significantly fewer beta-blockers (77.8% vs. 84.2%), renin–angiotensin system inhibitors (75.2% vs. 89.7%), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (50.6% vs. 59.6%) and ivabradine (2.9% vs. 9.3%), but significantly more diuretics (88.1% vs. 72.6%) compared to patients aged less than 60 years ( Pfor all trends < 0.01). Moreover, the prescribed target dosages were significantly lower in elderly patients. Also, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (18.9% vs. 44.1%) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy device (14.6% vs. 16.7%) implantation rates were significantly lower in elderly patients. A similar trend in drug prescription was observed in patients with heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction as in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Conclusion With increasing age, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients less often received guideline-recommended medication prescriptions and also in a lower dosage. In addition, a lower percentage of implantable cardioverter defibrillator and cardiac resynchronisation therapy device implantation in elderly patients was observed.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Michalis Efremidis ◽  

There is a sinister synergism between atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). These common cardiovascular conditions often co-exist and result in significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the extensive amount of research and literature about each of these disorders separately, randomised controlled clinical trial data concerning the management of AF in patients with HF are lacking. The recently published Atrial Fibrillation and Congestive Heart Failure (AF-CHF) trial elucidated the matter of rhythm versus rate control. In addition, non-pharmacological treatment approaches such as catheter ablation of AF and cardiac resynchronisation therapy are rapidly growing and are likely to alter AF management in HF patients in the near future.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document