March 2011

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Volume 11 Issue 3

Editorial Staff

Clinical Editor
Bradley Knight, MD
Executive Editor
Laurie Gustafson
Managing Editor
Jodie Elrod
Production Manager
Alexa Flinn

Editorial Correspondence

Jodie Elrod, Managing Editor, EP Lab Digest
HMP Communications, 70 E. Swedesford Rd
Suite 100, Malvern PA 19355
Telephone: (800) 371-0791

Fax: (866) 488-8273
Email: jelrod@hmpglobal.com
Industry News and Products
ACCF/AHA/HRS Add Pradaxa to Leading Practice Guidelines for Atrial Fibrillation Pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) capsules is now recommended as an alternative to warfarin to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in patients with non-valv…
Clinical Trial Overview
The following is a listing of some of the ongoing EP-related clinical trials taking place in 2011. Ventricular Tachycardia Title: Comparison of the Effect of Ablation of the Clinically Presenting Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) Only Versus the Addition…
Force-Sensing Ablation Catheter Technology: Update on the TOCCASTAR IDE Study
In this interview we speak with Eric Le Royer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Endosense, to learn more about the launch of the TOCCASTAR IDE study of the TactiCath force-sensing ablation catheter. The first patient in the study was enrolled…
10-Minute Interview: Celso Acevedo, MD
In this month’s interview, we speak with Dr. Acevedo, an electrophysiologist with Munroe Heart in Ocala, Florida.
Left Ventricular Malposition of an ICD Lead in a Patient with Ebstein’s Anomaly
In this article, the authors present a brief discussion on left ventricular malposition of an ICD lead in a patient with atrial septal defect, and provide tips to ensure definitive diagnosis.
Health Services Utilization and Medical Costs Among Medicare AF Patients
In this interview we speak with Erin Sullivan, MPH, PhD, Vice President of Health Economics and Outcomes Services at Avalere Health, about a new report entitled “Health Services Utilization and Medical Costs Among Medicare Atrial Fibrillation Patient…
Case Study: Utilizing the Cryoballoon for Atrial Fibrillation Patients
The Arctic Front® Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter System (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) received FDA approval December 17, 2010 for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). The Arctic Front system consists of a cryoballoon, which comes in a…
Providence Portland Medical Center
Providence Portland Medical Center (PPMC), one of three Oregon Magnet Hospitals for Nursing Excellence (American Nurses Credentialing Center {ANCC}), is located in the heart of the older residential area of Portland, Oregon. PPMC is part of Providenc…
Non-Evidence-Based Defibrillator Implantations? Based on What Evidence?
Dear Readers, Dr. Al-Khatib and colleagues recently published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that received a great deal of attention.1 The title alone is an attention getter: “Non-evidence-based ICD implantations in the U…
Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Epicardial Ventricular Tachycardia
In this article, the authors discuss their use of epicardial ablation for ventricular tachycardia at Yale-New Haven Hospital. The patient is a 69-year-old man with a history of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and multiple hospitalizations for monomorphic…