Catheter ablation of atrial flutter using radiofrequency energy.

Sixteen patients with type I atrial flutter underwent an attempt at radiofrequency catheter ablation (8 women, 8 men, mean age 53 +/- 11 years). The primary criterion used to identify sites for radiofrequency energy delivery was the identification of a fractionated electrogram. Radiofrequency energy was delivered for 20 to 30 seconds. Radiofrequency catheter ablation was acutely successful in 13 patients and unsuccessful in 3. During a mean follow-up of 10 +/- 4 months, 9 of 13 patients with a successful acute result (69%) remained free of recurrent atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation. The ability to induce nonclinical types of atrial flutter was associated with an unsuccessful outcome. A greater proportion of electrograms recorded at successful sites demonstrated electrogram stability compared with unsuccessful ablation sites. None of the electrograms recorded at successful ablation sites were fractionated or had a double potential. This study demonstrates that radiofrequency catheter ablation of type I atrial flutter can be achieved safely.

Wide complex tachycardia due to automaticity in an accessory pathway.

Patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome have preexcited tachycardia as the result of atrial arrhythmias or antidromic reentry. This article describes a patient with persistent wide complex tachycardia due to abnormal automaticity in the accessory pathway. Radiofrequency catheter ablation resulted in simultaneous elimination of accessory pathway conduction and automaticity. Accessory pathway automaticity may be an infrequent cause of preexcited tachycardia in patients with the WPW syndrome.

Estimation of temperature during radiofrequency catheter ablation using impedance measurements.

Temperature monitoring during radiofrequency catheter ablation is useful but requires specialized equipment that is not generally available. Previous studies have shown that impedance characteristically decreases as the result of heating at the electrode-tissue interface. The purpose of the current study was to determine if impedance changes during radiofrequency current application could be used to estimate endocardial temperature in patients undergoing catheter ablation. Data from 43 patients treated with a thermistor ablation catheter were retrospectively analyzed. The slope of the initial 2 seconds of the impedance curve and subsequent changes in impedance were incorporated into an equation for estimation of temperature in real-time. The accuracy of this equation was assessed by prospectively comparing the calculated and measured temperatures in 19 patients. Of the 88% of energy applications that were suitable for analysis, the average difference between calculated and measured temperatures was 5.2 +/- 5.6 degrees C. The average error was < 10 degrees C in 89% of applications. The results of this study suggest that impedance measurements can be used to quantify tissue temperature in real-time during radiofrequency catheter ablation. This method is sufficiently accurate to allow titration of power output to produce temperatures in the useful range (50-80 degrees C) while avoiding excessive heating (> 90 degrees C).