Heart Rhythm

Hearts should have normal rhythm to their beats, but when these beats are out of synch, it causes inefficient pumping of blood. Irregular heart arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart's beats do not work properly. This can cause beats that are too fast (tachycardia), or too slow (bradycardia). Tachycardias include atrial fibrillation (AFib), supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Bradycardias include sick sinus syndrome and conduction block. Electrophysiology arrhythmia treatments include medications, life style changes, and the EP lab interventions of catheter ablation, and implantable pacemakers or defibrillators.

FDA announces recall of cryoablation catheters after multiple injuries, including 4 deaths
Boston Scientific is recalling the catheters associated with its POLARx Cryoablation System due to a heightened risk of esophageal injury. The FDA has ruled that this a Class I recall.
Cardiologists perform world’s first leadless LBBAP procedures with Abbott pacemaker
The first-in-human procedures were performed in Prague with the investigational Aveir CSP leadless pacemaker system.
President of medical device company resigns over conduct allegations after 7 months in role
Joseph C. Wright, a longtime Merit Medical employee, resigned after unspecified allegations regarding his conduct were brought to light. He was named the company's new president back in May.
FDA and Boston Scientific issue urgent alert about pacemaker failures following 2 deaths
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the recall notice for more than 200,000 pacemakers because a battery issue could lock the device in safe mode.
Treating AFib patients with TAVR still linked to elevated risks
While the technology and techniques associated with TAVR have advanced over the years, treating patients who present with baseline atrial fibrillation is still associated with certain risks.

First Cardiac Procedure Using the AcQMap® System by Acutus Medical® Successfully Performed in the United States

CARLSBAD, Calif., May 8, 2018 — Acutus Medical®, a global heart rhythm technology company, today announced that the AcQMap® High Resolution Imaging and Mapping System has been utilized for the first time in U.S. patients.

May 8, 2018

Penn Medicine performs 1st ablation with imaging aid in US

An intraoperative imaging and mapping system designed to aid in the ablation of complex cardiac arrhythmias was successfully used for the first time in the United States, according to an article distributed by Penn Medicine.

May 4, 2018

Abbott Expands Cardiac Arrhythmias Portfolio with FDA Clearance of Advanced Mapping Catheter

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., May 3, 2018 — Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the Advisor™ HD Grid Mapping Catheter, Sensor Enabled™. Advisor HD Grid employs a new design that allows physicians to see things differently, capturing and analyzing data in a novel manner to create highly detailed maps of the heart that better differentiate healthy from unhealthy tissue.

May 4, 2018

Bystander CPR, defibrillation only helpful for finite period

A new nationwide study from Japan highlighted the importance of timely ambulance arrival, showing that bystander defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are essentially worthless if EMS response times are slower than 13 minutes and 11 minutes, respectively.

May 2, 2018

Japanese study: Advanced life support boosted when physicians are involved

Physician-manned ambulances could improve the quality of advanced life support given to people who experience traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), suggests a study published April 25 in JAMA Surgery.

April 26, 2018

Obese patients 40% more likely to develop new-onset AFib

Individuals with obesity are more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to a study published April 18 in the American Journal of Cardiology.

April 25, 2018

Firmware upgrade fixes battery, cybersecurity issues with Abbott’s ICDs, CRT-Ds

The FDA has approved a firmware update aimed at addressing two previously reported issues with some of Abbott’s implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds).

April 20, 2018

The best part of waking up? Coffee may protect against AFib

A regular intake of up to 300 mg of coffee a day appears to be safe and may even be protective against heart rhythm disorders, including atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to a new review published April 16 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

April 17, 2018

Heart Rhythm

FDA announces recall of cryoablation catheters after multiple injuries, including 4 deaths

Cardiologists perform world’s first leadless LBBAP procedures with Abbott pacemaker

President of medical device company resigns over conduct allegations after 7 months in role

FDA and Boston Scientific issue urgent alert about pacemaker failures following 2 deaths

Treating AFib patients with TAVR still linked to elevated risks