There are two new questions this month, as well as an ongoing discussion on catheter recycling. 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. We look forward to hearing from you!

In the next installment of EP Lab Digest’s EP 101 section, authors Drs. Kalin and Garlitski describe guidelines for elderly EP patients.

In this article, we learn about the 5th Annual International Arrhythmia Winter School, which took place February 8-10, 2008 at Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, Canada.

On February 9, 2008, Dr. Ian Law and colleagues made their third medical relief trip to Merida, Mexico to help pediatric cardiology patients. Read more about it here.

In this article, EP Lab Digest speaks with Mary Tappe, a sudden cardiac arrest survivor who founded the patient organization “AED Access for All.” Mary, who is located in Ankeny, Iowa, also leads the Iowa affiliate of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.

In this new monthly section, authors provide five tips on solving common concerns in the EP lab. In this month’s column, the author provides five ways to identify and diagnose AV nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT).

In this interview, we speak with Keith Weaver, founder of HeartSaving Solutions, which provides Internet courses on CPR and AED training.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) continues to be the most frequently occurring arrhythmia in clinical practice. Its presence increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and all-cause mortality. In 2006, ACC/AHA/ESC practice guidelines were published for the management of AF.¹ This was the first step of a multifaceted plan for improving the quality of care delivered to this high-risk group. The second step is the development of performance measures. A review of the recently published performance measures document follows.

Dr. Jonathan Steinberg et al recently published research on how psychosocial characteristics impact long-term survival outcomes after cardiac arrest and ventricular tachycardia (VT). His article, entitled “Psychosocial Status Predicts Mortality in Patients with Life-threatening Ventricular Arrhythmias,” appeared in the HeartRhythm Journal, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society. In this interview, Dr. Steinberg elaborates on his findings. Dr. Steinberg is Chief of the Division of Cardiology at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center and Professor of Medicine at Columbia University in New York.

In this month’s 10-Minute Interview, we speak with Diane Sheffield, RN, BSN, who is an EP Nurse Clinician with MCGHealth Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.