Cardiophile MD Archive

Ventricular flutter is an extremely uncommon arrhythmia which is seldom recognized. It is a sine wave like pattern and associated with severe hemodynamic compromise. It rapidly degenerates into ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is a disorganized ventricular rhythm which is immediately fatal unless treated promptly. Ventricular fibrillation can be either coarse fibrillation or fine fibrillation. [...]

Ventricular arrhythmias are caused by ectopic ventricular foci. They have a wide QRS due slow conduction through the ventricle outside the specialised conduction system, with QRS width > 120 msec. P waves are either absent or dissociated from the QRS. The mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias could be re-entrant circuits, automatic foci or triggered activity. Ventricular [...]

Congenital short QT syndrome is new inherited clinical syndrome which was described by Gussak et al in 2000. (Cardiology. 2000;94:99-102). A gene mutation causing short QT syndrome was first demonstrated by Brugada et al in January 2004. This mutation in HERG (KCNH2) gene was later called as SQT1 and was due to gain in function [...]

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) utilises a very strong magnetic field which could be deleterious to the implanted cardiac pacemaker in various ways. Mechanical forces on ferromagnetic components of the pacemaker could occur due to the strong electromagnetic fields. This could lead to unpredictable magnetic sensor activation. Usually magnetic sensor causes closure of a reed switch [...]

Commotio cordis is the term given to sudden arrhythmic death due to blunt chest wall trauma. Death is almost instantaneous and the victims are in ventricular fibrillation. Usually there is no structural damage to the heart or thoracic structures. Impacts which occur in the vulnerable phase of ventricular repolarisation just before the peak of the electrocardiographic [...]