Patient Perspective :Left atrial image registration to guide catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: In the eye of the technology

Citation : Osmar Antonio Centurion.Left atrial image registration to guide catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: In the eye of the technology .JAFIB.2008 Sep;1(3): 190-193.

Your EP doctor uses state-of-the-art imaging techniques to evaluate and treat Atrial Fibrillation. The currently used imaging methods include Transthoracic echocardiography, Transesophageal echocardiography (or TEE), Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), Magnetic resonance angiography, MRI and multidetector CT.

Using these techniques it would be feasible to identify any clots (thormbi) before any procedure. Before any ablation procedure it is important to understand the anatomy of the left atrium and pulmonary vein.

In this editorial comment Dr. Osmar Centurion from Division of Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia Cardiovascular Institute in Asuncion, Paraguay provides an overview of relevance of technology in use of imaging for Afib management.

Patient Perspective : Physical Activity and Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Suneet Mittal. Physical Activity and Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study .JAFIB.2008 Sep;1(3): 185-186.

Dr. Mittal from The St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center,Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons,New York, NY reviews the recently published study showing the benefits of light to moderate exercise in significantly lowering AF incidence in older adults.

Patient Perspective :Underutilization of Warfarin Therapy in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation – Fear or False Sense of Security!

Citation :Mazda Biria, Ahmad Batrash, James Vacek, Loren Berenbom, Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy.Underutilization of Warfarin Therapy in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation – Fear or False Sense of Security! .JAFIB.2008 Sep;1(3): 133-138.

Warfarin (also known under the brand names Coumadin, Jantoven, Marevan, and Waran) is an anticoagulant. It is named after the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which sponsored its development. Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) have an increased risk of clots (or thrombi) due to irregular heart beat.

Dr. Batrash et al from Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kansas City report a retrospective study showing underutilization of warfarin in elderly patients with AF due to false sense of security about the paroxysmal nature of AF, lack of proper insight about stroke risk (CHADS (2)), and fear of bleeding.

Patient Perspective :Echocardiographic Prediction of Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation In Patients with Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis and Normal Sinus Rhyth

Citation : Fahriye Vatansever Agca, Ozan Kinay, Mustafa Karaca,Muge Ildizli Demirbas,Serdar Biceroglu,Baris Kilicarslan,Cem Nazli,A. Oktay Ergene.Echocardiographic Prediction of Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation In Patients with Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis and Normal Sinus Rhythm. JAFIB .2008 Sep;1(3): 139-144.

Mitral stenosis is a valvular heart disease characterized by the narrowing of the orifice of the mitral valve of the heart.Rheumatic mitral stenosis (RMS) increases the risk of both atrial fibrillation (AF) and thromboembolism.

Dr. Karaca et al from Atakalp Heart Hospital Cardiology Department,Turkey report the benefit of echocardiography to predict symptomatic AF in a study on patients with mitral stenosis and normal sinus rhythm.

Patient Perspective : Atrial Septal Defect and Atrial Fibrillation

Citation : George E. Blake, Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy. Atrial Septal Defect and Atrial Fibrillation. JAFIB .2008 Sep;1(3):173-184.


Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a form of congenital heart defect that enables blood flow between the left and right atria via the interatrial septum. The interatrial septum is the tissue that divides the right and left atria. Without this septum, or if there is a defect in this septum, it is possible for blood to travel from the left side of the heart to the right side of the heart, or vice versa.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common complication of ASD, and Dr. Blake et al from University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS discuss the diagnosis and management of ASD and AF.

Patient Perspective :Impact of Smoking on the Atrial Substrate Characteristics in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Citation : Ta-Chuan Tuan,Shih-Lin Chang, Shih-Ann Chen.Impact of Smoking on the Atrial Substrate Characteristics in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation .JAFIB.2008 Sep;1(3): 170-172.

Smoking has multiple adverse effects on health and is known to be linked to Atrial fibrillation. In a brief review Dr. Steven-Chen et al from Taipei Veterans General Hospital discuss the effects of smoking on the causation, progression and management of Atrial fibrillation.

Patient Perspective :Sinus Node Dysfunction in Atrial Fibrillation: Cause or Effect?

Citation : Anna Kezerashvili,Andrew K. Krumerman, John D. Fisher. Sinus Node Dysfunction in Atrial Fibrillation: Cause or Effect? .JAFIB.2008 Sep;1(3): 161-169.

Sick sinus syndrome, also called Sinus node dysfunction (SSS), is a group of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) presumably caused by a malfunction of the sinus node, the heart's "natural" pacemaker. Bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome is a variant of sick sinus syndrome where atrial flutter and fibrillation alternate with prolonged periods of asystole.

SSS often coexists with Atrial Fibrillation, and in this extensive and interesting review Dr. Fisher et al., from Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine explore the close interplay between the two conditions.

Patient Perspective : GIANT Flutter Waves in ECG Lead V1: a Marker of Pulmonary Hypertension

Citation : James A. Reiffel. GIANT Flutter Waves in ECG Lead V1: a Marker of Pulmonary Hypertension .JAFIB.2008 Sep;1(3): 187-189.

Atrial Flutter is a common heart rhythm abnormality that may or may not be associated with problems cardiac anatomy. The current diagnosis methods with ECG do not offer direct information on the anatomical defect.

In the case report Dr. Reiffel from Section of Electrophysiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and The New York Presbyterian Hospital, NY reports the novel ECG pattern that may allow detection of patients with pulmonary hypertension and Atrial flutter.

Patient Perspective : Cardiac Image Registration

Citation : Jasbir Sra.Cardiac Image Registration .JAFIB.2008 Sep;1 (3): 145-160.

Your EP doctor uses state-of-the-art imaging techniques to evaluate and treat Atrial Fibrillation. The currently used imaging methods include Transthoracic echocardiography, Transesophageal echocardiography (or TEE), Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), Magnetic resonance angiography, MRI and multidetector CT. 

Using these techniques it would be feasible to identify any clots (thormbi) before any procedure. Before any ablation procedure it is important to understand the anatomy of the left atrium and pulmonary vein. 

In this extensive review Dr. Jasbir Sra from Aurora Sinai/Aurora St. Luke's Medical Centers, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health- Milwaukee Clinical Campus, Wisconsin discusses the advances in technology for use of imaging methods and comprehensive report on different clinical studies which have used imaging methods in patients with Atrial Fibrillation.