Background Slight variation in cycle lengths of common and rapid atrial flutter in humans is an established phenomenon, but its mechanisms have not been completely clarified. In a previous study, we demonstrated that in common atrial flutter the variations in atrial cycle length were due to atrial stretch affecting the revolution time of a reentrant circuit. In the present study, we investigate...

BACKGROUND We report that rapid atrial pacing interrupts atrial flutter when the orthodromic wave front from the pacing impulse is blocked in an area of slow conduction in the reentry circuit. To characterize the area of slow conduction during atrial flutter and rapid pacing, we studied 11 episodes of induced atrial flutter, mean cycle length 157 +/- 20 msec, in eight dogs with sterile pericard...

Atrial tachycardias are common after open heart surgery. Most commonly these are macro-reentrant including cavotricuspid isthmus dependent atrial flutter, incisional right atrial flutter and left atrial flutter. Focal atrial tachycardias occur less frequently. The specific type of atrial tachycardia highly depends on the type of surgical incision. Catheter ablation can be very effective, howeve...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Contemporary atrial pacemakers incorporate pacing modes for treating atrial arrhythmias. Because atrial fibrillation in the right atrium can exhibit an organized pattern, it can be difficult to differentiate from atrial flutter. We assessed criteria for discriminating between atrial flutter and organized atrial fibrillation when using a bipolar electrode in the right...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the electrophysiological determinant underlying the electrical induction of counterclockwise and clockwise isthmus dependent atrial flutter. PATIENTS AND METHODS The isthmus bordered by the inferior vena caval orifice-tricuspid annulus-coronary sinus ostium (IVCO-TA-CSO) has been assumed to be the site of both slow conduction and unidirectional block critical to the i...

BACKGROUND Acute effects of class I and class III antiarrhythmia drugs on the reentrant circuit of typical atrial flutter are not fully studied. Furthermore, the critical electrophysiologic determinants of flutter termination by antiarrhythmia drugs are not clear. METHODS AND RESULTS The study population consisted of 36 patients (mean age, 53+/-17 years) with clinically documented typical atr...

OBJECTIVE To highlight the association between atrial flutter and accessory connections in the fetus and young infant. DESIGN A retrospective review from January 1985 to January 1990. PATIENTS Fetuses, neonates, and young infants with atrial flutter. RESULTS Four fetuses and five infants presented with atrial flutter. In two fetuses and one infant sinus rhythm returned spontaneously. The ...

Echocardiographic studies were performed in 22 patients with atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. In atrial flutter, the echocardiograms consistently demonstrated regular undulatory waves of the posterior left atrial wall and upper left interventricular septum coinciding with each flutter wave of the electrocardiogram. The mitral valve was slightly reopened by each flutter wave occurring aft...

A patient with type A Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and prolonged interatrial conduction intervals developed atrial flutter during the course of an electrophysiological study. The atrial flutter blocked along the left-to-right conduction pathways in a Wenckebach pattern. The dissimilar atrial rhythms of right atrial tachycardia and left atrial flutter evolved as the interatrial block increased...

OBJECTIVE To review the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of fetal atrial flutter compared with supraventricular tachycardia. DESIGN Retrospective review of published reports: 11 papers about fetal tachyarrhythmia published between 1991 and 2002 were selected for review. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES All selected studies were analysed for the type of arrhythmia, degree of atrioventricular block in ...