Cardiac arrhythmias following acute myocardial infarction are often fatal. Although commonly used antiarrhythmics are usually effective, some patients develop dysrhythmias that are refractory to these medications. This article discusses the use and contraindications of bretylium tosylate, a relatively new antiarrhythmic drug that has been shown to be effective in reversing dysrhythmias that wer...

A 5 year old girl presenting with episodes of sudden loss of consciousness was found to have intermittent ventricular tachycardia and, on one occasion, self limiting fibrillation. Corrected QT interval was normal. After several therapeutic measures clinical and electrocardiographic improvement was achieved by administration of sotalol.

Background. Sudden cardiac death can be the first clinical presentation of asymptomatic ventricular preexcitation. Methods and Results. From 1995 to 2005 we prospectively collected clinical and electrophysiologic data among 293 adults with asymptomatic ventricular preexcitation (61.4 % males; median age, 36 years; interquartile range (IQR, 28-47.5). After electrophysiologic testing, patients we...

BACKGROUND Sudden cardiac death can be the first clinical presentation of asymptomatic ventricular preexcitation. METHODS AND RESULTS From 1995 to 2005, we prospectively collected clinical and electrophysiological data among 293 adults with asymptomatic ventricular preexcitation (61.4% males; median age, 36 years; interquartile range [IQR], 28 to 47.5). After electrophysiological testing, pat...

Background—Sudden cardiac death can be the first clinical presentation of asymptomatic ventricular preexcitation. Methods and Results—From 1995 to 2005, we prospectively collected clinical and electrophysiological data among 293 adults with asymptomatic ventricular preexcitation (61.4% males; median age, 36 years; interquartile range [IQR], 28 to 47.5). After electrophysiological testing, patie...

Life events and difficulties were recorded for the year before stroke, using a standardised semi-structured interview, in 113 surviving patients seen after their first ever in a lifetime stroke. An age and sex-matched control group (n = 109) was also interviewed about the preceding year. The stroke patients reported fewer non-threatening events and events with only a short-term threat, while di...

Emergency pericardiocentesis done for hemodynamically significant cardiac tamponad is associated with rare but life-threatening complications including chamber perforation. Echocardiography the usual tool to diagnose procedural of pericardiocentesis. We are reporting a case attempted where apparent perforation by saline contrast echo turned out be an inconsequential hepatic vein puncture.