Cardiology overview electrophysiology

Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator

 * Should not be implanted within 40 days of STEMI
 * A patient should wear a defibrillator vest while awaiting AICD implantation
 * Amiodarone improves CV survival but not all cause survival in patients with an LVEF of <40%
 * If someone with an ICD has refractory arrhythmias then radiofrequency ablation of the VT focus can be attempted
 * Sotalol also reduces the frequency of shocks in patients with CAD

Anticoagulation

 * Patients with a CHADS2 score of two or higher should be anticoagulated with warfarin. Some clinicians believe that any patient with congestive heart failure should also be anticoagulated with warfarin.

Anticoagulation based on the CHADS2 score
The following treatment strategies are recommended in the table below entitled Anticoagulation based on the CHADS2 score:

Rate Control vs Rhythm Control

 * Rhythm control offers no benefit over rate control in survival
 * Rate control is very important in preventing the tachycardia cardiomyopathy syndrome. Patients who are hyperthyroid should be treated with Lopressor until they are euthyroid.
 * Dronedarone reduces hospitalization for atrial fibrillation by about a quarter

Radiofrequency Ablation

 * A complication of radio frequency ablation is left atrial tachycardia or flutter. This complication may itself require treatment.
 * Anticoagulation should be continued after radiofrequency ablation.
 * In patients who have a rapid ventricular response rate in atrial fibrillation and who develop a tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy, AV junctional ablation can be undertaken with permanent pacemaker placement.

QT prolongation

 * QT prolongation can be treated with metoprolol

Complications
These patients are at risk of rapid conduction of atrial fibrillation and VT / VF

Treatment

 * EP study and RF ablation of the bypass tract
 * Do not use drugs that might block AV node and send conduction down accessory pathway