Clinical trial testing new technique to treat life-threatening ventricular tachycardia
(Loyola University Health System) A landmark clinical trial is evaluating a new procedure to treat a life-threatening heart rhythm disorder called ventricular tachycardia. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - January 23, 2017 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

BioSig taps Minnetronix to develop Pure EP prototype
BioSig Technologies (OTCQB: BSGM) issued a letter to its shareholders today, updating them on the company’s recent developments and revealing that it tapped Minnetronix to develop the 1st version of its Pure EP system. The Minneapolis-based company is developing a cardiac signal acquisition and display system which is designed to assist electrophysiologists in making clinical decisions for patients with abnormal heart rates and rhythms, including atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing. The post BioSig taps Minnetronix to develop Pu...
Source: Mass Device - January 20, 2017 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Sarah Faulkner Tags: Cardiovascular Patient Monitoring Wall Street Beat BioSig Technologies Minnetronix Inc. Source Type: news

Single vs. Multiple Ablations in Ventricular Tachycardia Single vs. Multiple Ablations in Ventricular Tachycardia
Are multiple catheter ablation procedures necessary in order to achieve long-term clinical success in ventricular tachycardia?Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - December 15, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cardiology Journal Article Source Type: news

Loperamide abuse and cardiac dysrhythmia
3.5 out of 5 stars Cardiac Dysrhythmias After Loperamide Abuse — New York, 2008-2016. Eggleston W et al. MMWR 2016 Nov 18;65:1276-1277. Full Text Last week we reviewed a new paper showing that the number of cases of loperamide abuse reported to the National Poison Data System increased by 91% from the years 2000 to 2015. For reasons detailed in that review and in my recent Emergency Medicine News article on the topic, massive doses of loperamide can alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms and also produce opioid-like effects. This very brief report has some interesting clinical and epidemiological nuggets. The authors l...
Source: The Poison Review - November 25, 2016 Category: Toxicology Authors: Leon Gussow Tags: Medical cardiotoxicity ecg ekg electrocardiogram imodium loperamide Source Type: news

Young adult cardiac patient shares tips for ‘going it alone’ in the hospital
Zach with Sam the “Pawprints” dog Zachary Harper, 23, a young adult living with congenital heart disease, receives care at the Boston Children’s Hospital Heart Center. I was recently admitted to Boston Children’s Hospital. Though I am no stranger to these visits, they are still draining — both physically and mentally. You see, seven years ago, when I was 16, I went into sudden cardiac arrest at school. After an array of tests, my doctors concluded that a virus had attacked my heart. But five years later, another event led to a new diagnosis: arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, or ARVC, ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - November 21, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Zachary Harper Tags: Our Patients’ Stories Heart Center Heart Center’s Electrophysiology Program Pawprints Program Source Type: news

Genetesis lands $1m seed round for CardioFlux heart imaging device
Genetesis said today that it raised a $1.2 million seed round for its CardioFlux heart imaging device. Cincinatti-based Genetesis said the round was led by CincyTech and Mark Cuban’s Radical Investments and included Loud Capital, Danmar Capital, Wilson Sonsini Investment Company, Genetesis management and private angels. The CardioFlux device is designed to create a 3D map to characterize the heart’s underlying electrical activity in patients with myocardial ischemia, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia and other cardiac arrhythmias. The company said it plans to use the proceeds to scale its engineer...
Source: Mass Device - November 14, 2016 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Brad Perriello Tags: Cardiovascular Funding Roundup Imaging Genetesis Source Type: news

Using heart tissue models to test heart disease treatments
Scientists are now able to create cardiac heart muscle cells from patients with heart disease. But cells alone aren’t enough to fully study cardiac disorders — especially rhythm disorders that require the activity of multiple cells assembled into tissues. William Pu, MD, of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Heart Center and his team are honing the art ofmodeling heart disease in a dish. With an accurate lab model, they hope to test drug therapies without posing a risk to living patients (or even live animals). Together with researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute, Pu’s lab recently modeled a rare rhythm disorder ca...
Source: Mass Device - September 14, 2016 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: MassDevice Tags: Blog Vector Blog Source Type: news

Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests Spike 14% Amid Heat WavesOut-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests Spike 14% Amid Heat Waves
Heat waves significantly increased the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, especially in the elderly, but did not affect cardiac arrests with ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. Heartwire from Medscape (Source: theHeart.org)
Source: theHeart.org - July 13, 2016 Category: Cardiology Tags: Cardiology News Source Type: news

Anticoagulation therapy after VT ablation yields fewer thrombotic events
San Francisco – Anticoagulation therapy is probably a good idea after ventricular tachycardia ablation in patients with risk factors or stroke, even if they don’t have atrial fibrillation, according... (Source: Clinical Neurology News)
Source: Clinical Neurology News - May 10, 2016 Category: Neurology Source Type: news

Halifax‑led study leads to better treatment for people with deadly heart condition
Dr. John Sapp, professor of cardiology, led an international study that found catheter ablation is a better treatment for ventricular tachycardia (VT) than high doses of antiarrhythmic drugs. (Source: Dalhousie University | Medical School News)
Source: Dalhousie University | Medical School News - May 5, 2016 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Allison Gerrard Tags: News Source Type: news

Halifax ‑led study leads to better treatment for people with deadly heart condition
Dr. John Sapp, professor of cardiology, led an international study that found catheter ablation is a better treatment for ventricular tachycardia (VT) than high doses of antiarrhythmic drugs. (Source: Dalhousie University | Medical School News)
Source: Dalhousie University | Medical School News - May 5, 2016 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Allison Gerrard Tags: News Source Type: news

Cardiac effects of loperamide overdose
3 out of 5 stars Not your regular high: cardiac dysrhythmias caused by loperamide. Wightman RS et al. Clin Toxicol 2016 Jun;54:454-458 Abstract Loperamide is an over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medication that is available without prescription under a variety of brand names including Imodium. In therapeutic doses, loperamide acts as a peripheral mu-opioid receptor agonist but doesn’t cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, in massive overdose loperamide can enter the brain and cause central opioid toxicity, including altered mental status and respiratory. Although previously loperamide was thought to have litt...
Source: The Poison Review - April 29, 2016 Category: Toxicology Authors: Leon Gussow Tags: Medical cardiac effects cardiogoxicity long QT loperamide overdose QRS interval qt interval Source Type: news

National Study Reviews Drug Administration during CPR
SEATTLE (KING 5) - In addition to CPR, paramedics routinely administer drugs to get the patient stabilized before reaching the hospital.  But do those drugs really improve the chances of survival? That was unknown until now. A national study led by UW finally has an answer—which is—it depends. When a King County Medic One team arrives at the scene of a cardiac arrest. CPR is standard. So is lidocaine to stabilize heart rhythm. “These drugs have been around-- lidocaine for probably 50 years, amiodarone for more than ten years-- and we used them with the best intention of wanting to save lives. The reality i...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - April 5, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: News Cardiac & Resuscitation Source Type: news

National Study Reviews Drug Administration during CPR
SEATTLE (KING 5) - In addition to CPR, paramedics routinely administer drugs to get the patient stabilized before reaching the hospital.  But do those drugs really improve the chances of survival? That was unknown until now. A national study led by UW finally has an answer—which is—it depends. When a King County Medic One team arrives at the scene of a cardiac arrest. CPR is standard. So is lidocaine to stabilize heart rhythm. “These drugs have been around-- lidocaine for probably 50 years, amiodarone for more than ten years-- and we used them with the best intention of wanting to save lives. The reality is we...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - April 5, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: News Cardiac & Resuscitation Source Type: news