There are conflicting reports about whether otherwise healthy pregnant women have an increased incidence of arrhythmias.¹ Among women with underlying cardiac conditions or conduction abnormalities, there is an increased incidence of ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias.^2,3 Several physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy have an arrhythmogenic potential, such as hyperdynamic state (including increased cardiac output and contractility) and altered hormonal balance.

First-year results from the Baseline ICD Registry™, which became effective April 1, 2006, are now in. Launched June 30, 2005, the Baseline ICD Registry™ was developed through a collaboration between the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS). The ICD Registry^™ is a part of the NCDR^® (National Cardiovascular Data Registry), portfolio of registries, the most comprehensive outcomes-based quality improvement program in the U.S.

EP Lab Digest conducted its first annual salary survey in an attempt to assess the market value of cardiac electrophysiology laboratory professionals across the country. The survey will also be available on our website here for those who are interested. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Readers, there are lots of new questions for this month’s discussion group. If you would like to join in on the discussion, please email us at eplabdigest@hotmail.com or visit us at www.eplabdigest.com (click on the email discussion group link). Remember, when posting or responding to the discussion group, please let us know if you would like your name, location, and/or email address listed as well. We look forward to hearing from you!

The ACVP Standards and Competencies were developed by the ACVP leadership over a period of several years and have been fashioned to be successfully utilized by all organizations interested in the training and performance of the cardiovascular specialties. The Standards and Competencies are available to ACVP members upon request. If you would like a copy, please contact the ACVP National Office at (804) 632-0078.

After a recent study was published in Circulation,¹ one article questioned the cost-effectiveness of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools. Rachel Moyer from Parent Heart Watch (PHW) gives her perspective on the importance of AEDs in schools.

This month Claudia Irmiere, RN, MS, CCRN, who works as an Advanced Practice Nurse in electrophysiology at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in New Jersey, was nominated for our 10-minute interview.

This year’s SASEAP workshop was another success! SASEAP’s thirteenth annual meeting took place September 14-16 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This year there were 202 participants. Attendees received up to 14.25 CEU or RCIS Category A credits. In this feature article, we present abstract summaries from this year’s SASEAP presentations. A special thanks goes out to Leslie Sipes for helping with the abstracts. Next year’s workshop will be held on September 12-14, 2008.