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.

Medtronic's Micra leadless pacemaker

Leadless pacemakers appear to be safe, effective in children with bradycardia

“Leadless pacemaker technology is the wave of the future,” one researcher said. “This is an excellent technology that may be offered to a wider pediatric population."

April 11, 2023
Medtronic just launched its MRI Care Pathway, a new system that can streamline the process of completing MRI scans for patients with Medtronic MRI compatible cardiac devices.

Medtronic streamlines MRI screening, scanning for patients with implanted cardiac devices

Medtronic launched its MRI Care Pathway, a new system that can streamline the process of completing MRI scans for patients with compatible cardiac devices.

April 4, 2023
Congress

Cardiologists support new bill that would improve AED access among students

Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who went into sudden cardiac arrest on the football field back in January, has also highlighted the importance of this new bipartisan legislation. 

March 30, 2023
Images from the consensus document showing the proper left atrial appendage (LAA) sizing assessment for a transcatheter occluder device using transesophageal echo (TEE). Sizing and evaluation for pre-existing thrombus in the LAA also can be performed using cardiac CT.

SCAI and HRS release expert consensus on transcatheter left atrial appendage occlusion

One of the new recommendations is to conduct baseline imaging with TEE or cardiac CT.

March 24, 2023
Atul Verma explains thne results of the PULSE-AF trial at ACC23.

Pulsed-field ablation could be the next big EP technology trend

Atul Verma, MD, director of cardiology at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, explained why the late-breaking PULSED-AF trial data on Medtronic’s pulsed-field ablation technology is so important for cardiologists. 

March 22, 2023
Airplane

Lawsuit blames teen’s death during flight on defibrillator issue, lack of training

A teenager went into cardiac arrest on an American Airlines flight from Honduras to Miami. He never recovered, and now his family has filed a new lawsuit that blames the airline.

March 20, 2023
a patient talks with her doctor, both are women of color

Estrogen may be linked to heart rhythm issues

A new experimental study focused on how different sex hormones can affect the heart's ability to properly pump blood. Estradiol, the most active form of estrogen, stood out as a hormone that requires additional research.

March 17, 2023
Sphere-9 mapping and ablation catheter

Medtronic gains key approval for new mapping and ablation system

Medtronic acquired the technology in a 2022 deal reportedly worth $925 million.

March 16, 2023