High Mechanical Efficiency of Left Ventricular Arrhythmic Contractions during Atrial Fibrillation

Coupled pacing improves left ventricular function during simulated atrial fibrillation without mechanical dyssynchrony.

AIMS Electrical stimulation [coupled pacing (CP)] applied near the end of the T-wave is able to create a retrograde activation of the atrioventricular (AV) node in turn to prevent rapid ventricular conduction during atrial fibrillation (AF). The impact of this pacing modality associated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been evaluated in the present experimental study. METHODS ...

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in atrial fibrillation

Left ventricular ejection time in atrial fibrillation.

Left ventricular ejection time (LVET; indirect carotid pulse) was studied in 48 patients with atrial fibrillation. In comparison with normal individuals in normal sinus rhythm, ejection times for similar cycle lengths were usually short in patients with atrial fibrillation. Patients without mitral valve disease usually show increasing ejection times following increasing cycle lengths until a ce...

Contact Force in Atrial Fibrillation: Role of Atrial Rhythm and Ventricular Contractions: Co-Force Atrial Fibrillation Study.

BACKGROUND In an experimental model, variable and intermittent contact force (CF) resulted in a significant decrease in lesion volume. In humans, variability of CF during pulmonary vein isolation has not been characterized. METHODS AND RESULTS In 20 consecutive patients undergoing CF-guided circumferential pulmonary vein isolation, 914 radiofrequency applications (530 in sinus rhythm and 384 ...

Ventricular fibrillation during electrical cardioversion of pre-excited atrial fibrillation.

The Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome can rarely present with pre-excited atrial fibrillation. In this condition the short refractory period of the accessory pathway can lead to rapid atrioventricular conduction. There is then a danger that at high heart rates the irregular broad complex tachycardia that results can deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation. The initial management of patients pres...