It has been another busy month for our email discussion group! There are two new questions for discussion, on the topics of: 1) mapping a case of supraventricular tachycardia originating in the RVOT, and 2) the benefits of switching to a new recording system. In addition, some of the new questions posted are already under discussion (see responses to “Nurse Practitioners” and “EP Training Program”). If you would like to respond, please email us at eplabdigest@hotmail.com. Remember, when posting or responding to the discussion group, please let me know if you would like your name, location, and/or email address listed as well — that way you will get more instant results! You can also go to www.eplabdigest.com and click on the email discussion group link. The website is always being updated, so please check back often. We hope to hear from you soon!

Transient loss of consciousness, or syncope, is a common problem in medicine and a principal reason for electrophysiology evaluation. The cardiovascular system is implicated in most cases, but syncope can also result from non-cardiac causes as well. Ruling out life-threatening etiologies of syncope is the principal objective during the initial evaluation of syncope. The purpose of this review is to summarize the approach to the initial evaluation of syncope as proposed in a recent AHA/ACCF Scientific Statement.¹

A Children’s Hospital of Iowa pediatric electrophysiology team recently accompanied a pediatric cardiology group from Des Moines, Iowa to treat underserved pediatric patients in Merida, Mexico (located on the Yucatan Peninsula). Author Ian Law, MD, describes his experience.

In this interview, we get an international perspective on electrophysiology from Taha Abahreh, an EP Lab Supervisor in Amman, Jordan. His lab performs EP studies and radiofrequency ablations, pacemaker implants, biventricular implants, and much more.

In this article, the author provides everything you need to know about the ACC-NCDR’s ICD Registry^™, which became effective April 1, 2006.

“Task Force 6: Training in Specialized Electrophysiology, Cardiac Pacing, and Arrhythmia Management” was recently published in JACC [2006;47(4);904-910] by Gerald V. Naccarelli, MD et al. As lead author, we asked him to participate in a brief interview for EP Lab Digest to find out more information about the guidelines. Dr. Naccarelli is located at the Division of Cardiology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.