December 18th, 2013
Doc, Do I Really Need a New Battery?
Tariq Ahmad, MD, MPH and James Fang, MD
A 45-year-old man with nonischemic cardiomyopathy, diagnosed 8 years ago, presents for annual follow-up. A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), taken 3 years ago, showed an LV ejection fraction of 25%. Since then, the patient has improved a great deal and now has barely any signs or symptoms of heart failure. Repeat TTE right before the current visit showed an […]
October 19th, 2013
Was Dick Cheney’s ICD Vulnerable to Hacking?
Larry Husten, PHD
It happened in Homeland. Could it happen in real life? In a 60 Minutes segment, Dick Cheney says that his doctors turned off the wireless function of his implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) “in case a terrorist tried to send his heart a fatal shock,” according to the Associated Press. Years later, Cheney watched an episode of the Showtime series Homeland, in which […]
September 19th, 2013
A Novel Navigation System for CRT Device Implantation
Sergio Richter, MD
Sergio Richter discusses his research group’s study of a non–fluoroscopy-based tracking system that can be used when implanting a CRT device.
September 13th, 2013
Entering New Territory with the Subcutaneous ICD
John Ryan, MD and Martin C. Burke, D.O.
John Ryan poses questions to Martin Burke, the lead investigator of the pivotal trial for the subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD).
September 2nd, 2013
Automatic Wireless Monitoring Shows Benefits in Chronic Heart Failure
Larry Husten, PHD
The In-Time trial is the first to show that home monitoring of HF patients may be beneficial.
July 1st, 2013
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: July 1st
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include studies on aggressive fluid and sodium restriction in acute decompensated HF, the yield of routine cardiac testing in an ED-based chest pain unit, and more.
June 3rd, 2013
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: June 3rd
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include pacemaker or ICD surgery without interrupting anticoagulation, the diagnostic accuracy of conventional or age-adjusted D-dimer cut-off values in older patients with suspected VTE, and ICD shocks.
May 23rd, 2013
When Are Dual-Chamber ICDs Necessary for Primary Prevention?
Pam Peterson, MD, MSPH, Frederick Masoudi, MD, MSPH and Nihar Desai, MD, MPH
Pamela Peterson and Frederick Masoudi discuss findings from their research group’s registry study comparing outcomes with dual- versus single-chamber ICDs among primary-prevention patients who have no pacing indication.
May 21st, 2013
Athletes with ICDs Don’t Need to Quit Sports
Larry Husten, PHD
Although the American College of Cardiology and the European Society of Cardiology now advise people with ICDs not to participate in vigorous sports, a new study offers strong support for people with ICDs who want to take part in sports. Now findings from the ICD Sports Safety Registry, published in Circulation, provide vital new information about this important topic. […]
May 14th, 2013
Study Questions Role of Dual-Chamber ICDs for Primary Prevention
Larry Husten, PHD
The majority of patients who receive an ICD for primary prevention without a pacing indication have a dual-chamber ICD implanted. Although there are a number of theoretical advantages with dual-chamber devices, they are more likely to cause complications than single-chamber devices. Although CMS requires providers to justify the medical necessity of dual-chamber devices, current guidelines […]
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