Ablation of atrioventricular conduction is now widely accepted in the management of supraventricular arrhythmias. Reports of high temperatures, high pressures, and gas production suggest that there may be adverse effects on the blood, the electrode, and the cardiovascular system. In this investigation, using samples of fresh, heparinized pig blood, we measured hemolytic damage, the liberated ga...

The erosion rates for hemispherical electrodes, 2.5 em in diameter, made of graphite, copper-graphite, brass, two types of copper-tungsten, and three types of stainless steel have been examined in a spark gap filled with air or nitrogen at one atmosphere. The electrodes were subjected to 50,000 unipolar pulses (25 )ls, 4-25 kA, 5-30 kV, 0.1-0.6 Coul/shot) at repetition rates ranging from 0.5 to...