Traumatic injury and atrial fibrillation among deployed service members.

INTRODUCTION: Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter (AF/AFL), the most common atrial arrhythmias, have never been examined in combat casualties. In this study, we investigated the impact of traumatic injury on AF/AFL among service members with deployment history. METHODS: Sampled from the Department of Defense (DoD) Trauma Registry (n = 10,000), each injured patient in this retrospective cohort study was matched with a non-injured service member drawn from the Veterans Affairs/DoD Identity Repository. The primary outcome was AF/AFL diagnosis identified using ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes. Competing risk regressions based on Fine and Gray subdistribution hazards model with were utilized to assess the association between injury and AF/AFL. RESULTS: There were 130 reported AF/AFL cases, 90 of whom were injured and 40 were non-injured. The estimated cumulative incidence rates of AF/AFL for injured was higher compared to non-injured patients (hazards ratio [HR] = 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.44, 2.87). After adjustment demographics and tobacco use, the association did not appreciably decrease (HR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.23, 2.93). Additional adjustment for obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and vascular disorders, the association between injury and AF/AFL was no longer statistically significant (HR = 1.51; 95% CI = 0.99, 2.52). CONCLUSION: Higher AF/AFL incidence rate was observed among deployed service members with combat injury compared to servicemembers without injury. The association did not remain significant after adjustment for cardiovascular-related covariates. These findings highlight the need for combat casualty surveillance to further understand the AF/AFL risk within the military population and to elucidate the potential underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms.

Urinary tract infection after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common after surgical procedures and a quality improvement target. For non-surgical procedures such as catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), UTI risk has not been characterized. We sought to determine incidence and risk factors of UTI after AF ablation and risk variation across sites. METHODS: Using Marketscan commercial claims databases, we performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent AF ablation from 2007 to 2011. The primary outcome was UTI diagnosis within 30 days after ablation. We performed multivariate analyses to determine risk factors for UTI and risk of sepsis within 30 days after ablation with UTI as the predictor variable. Median odds ratio was used to quantify UTI site variation. RESULTS: Among 21 091 patients (age 59.2 ± 10.9; 29.1% female; CHA2 DS2 -VASc 2.0 ± 1.6), 622 (2.9%) were diagnosed with UTI within 30 days. In multivariate analyses, UTI was independently associated with age, female sex, prior UTI, and general anesthesia (all P < .01). UTI diagnosis was associated with a substantial increased risk of sepsis within 30 days (5.0% vs. 0.3%; odds ratio 17.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 10.8-28.2; P < .0001). Among 416 sites, 211 had at least one UTI. Among these 211 sites, the incidence of postablation UTI ranged from 0.7 to 26.7% (median: 5.4%; Interquartile Range (IQR): 3.0-7.1%; 95th percentile: 14.3%; median odds ratio: 1.45; 95% CI 1.41-1.50). CONCLUSIONS: UTI after AF ablation is not uncommon and varies substantially across sites. Consideration of UTI as a quality measure and interventions targeted at high-risk patients or sites warrant consideration.

The effects of body mass index on surface electrocardiograms in young adults.

INTRODUCTION: While BMI is known to affect ECG measurements, these effects have not been well characterized in young adults. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all ECGs performed in adults 18 to 35 years old at a single institution over a 30 year period. ECG measurements were derived electronically and stratified by WHO BMI category. RESULTS: A total of 55,218 ECGs were included. Increasing BMI led to increased P wave duration and decreasing P, R, and T wave axes. Additionally, while increasing BMI led to less R wave voltage, J point elevation, and T wave amplitude in patients with a BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m(2), there was also a decrease in the measured parameters in patients with a BMI <18.5 kg/m(2). DISCUSSION: BMI had significant effects on ECG measurements. For accurate assessment of ECGs, these data should be incorporated into established nomograms. Further investigation into the effects of BMI on the ECG is warranted.

Energy Drink-Associated Electrophysiological and Ischemic Abnormalities: A Narrative Review.

An increasing number of cardiovascular adverse effects, emergency room visits, and deaths have been linked to energy drinks. In this review, we summarized available published literature assessing electrophysiological and ischemic adverse effects associated with energy drink consumption. Overall, 32 case reports and 19 clinical trials are included in this review. Ventricular arrhythmia, supraventricular arrhythmia, and myocardial ischemia were amongst the most commonly reported in case reports with 3 having a fatal outcome. Although serious ischemic changes, arrhythmias, or death were not observed in clinical trials, significant electrophysiological changes, such as PR/PQ interval shortening/prolongation, QT/QTc shortening/prolongation, and ST-T changes, were noted. QT/QTc interval prolongation appears to be the most significant finding in clinical trials, and there appears to be a dose-response relationship between energy drink consumption and QTc prolongation. The exact mechanisms and the particular combination of ingredients behind energy drink-induced cardiac abnormalities require further evaluation. Until more information is available, energy drink use should be considered as part of the differential diagnosis in appropriate patients presenting with electrocardiographic changes. Further, certain patient populations should exercise caution and limit their energy drink consumption.

Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guideline: Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). 14 May 2021.

Deployed medical providers at all roles of care must be prepared to recognize and manage acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Under optimal conditions, treatment is initiated with medical therapy and may be followed by prompt coronary angiography and revascularization. Emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not available in most deployed locations, however, and the time for such intervention is often dependent on long-range evacuation. This CPG provides guidance on best management for ACS patients in the deployed and resource-constrained environment.

A novel pacing maneuver to verify the postpacing interval minus the tachycardia cycle length while adjusting for decremental conduction: Using "dual-chamber entrainment" for improved supraventricular tachycardia discrimination.

BACKGROUND: The postpacing interval (PPI) minus the tachycardia cycle length (TCL) is frequently used to investigate tachycardias. However, a variety of issues (eg, failure to entrain, decremental conduction, and oscillating TCLs) can make interpretation of the PPI-TCL challenging. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate a novel maneuver to confirm the PPI-TCL value without using either the ventricular PPI or the TCL interval and to assess the ability of this maneuver to identify decremental conduction and differentiate supraventricular tachycardias. METHODS: We analyzed 77 intracardiac recordings from patients (age 25 ± 20 years; 40 female) who underwent catheter ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) or orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia (ORT) with a concealed pathway. We calculated the PPI-TCL, the AH-corrected PPI-TCL, and estimated the PPI-TCL using "dual-chamber entrainment" calculated as [PPIV - TCL = Stim(A→V) + Stim(V→A) - PPIA]. RESULTS: The PPI-TCL calculated by dual-chamber entrainment highly correlated with the observed and AH-corrected PPI-TCL (R2 = 0.79 and 0.96, respectively; P <.001]. A dual-chamber entrainment PPI-TCL value of 80 ms correctly differentiated all AVNRT from septal ORT cases, whereas the standard PPI-TCL and AH-corrected PPI-TCL methods were incorrect in 14% and 6% of cases, respectively. Dual-chamber entrainment identified 3 ± 10 ms of additional decremental conduction beyond AH prolongation, including 4 pathways with significant (>10 ms) decrement. CONCLUSION: Dual-chamber entrainment estimates the PPI-TCL value without using either the ventricular PPI or the TCL interval. This maneuver adjusts for all decremental conduction, including within concealed pathways, where a dual-chamber entrainment PPI-TCL value >80 ms favors AVNRT over ORT. This maneuver can be used to verify the observed PPI-TCL value in challenging cases.

Impact of High Volume Energy Drink Consumption on Electrocardiographic and Blood Pressure Parameters: A Randomized Trial.

Background Energy drinks have been linked to an increase in emergency room visits and deaths. We aim to determine the impact of energy drinks on electrocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters in young healthy volunteers. Methods and Results A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, crossover study was conducted in healthy volunteers. Participants consumed 32 oz of either energy drink A, energy drink B, or placebo within 60 minutes on 3 study days with a 6-day washout period in between. The primary end point of QT c interval and secondary end points of QT interval, PR interval, QRS duration, heart rate, and brachial and central blood pressures were measured at baseline, and every 30 minutes for 240 minutes. A repeated-measures 2-way analysis of variance was performed with the main effects of intervention, time, and an interaction of intervention and time. Thirty-four participants were included (age 22.1±3.0 years). The interaction term of intervention and time was statistically significant for Bazett's corrected QT interval, Fridericia's corrected QT interval, QT , PR , QRS duration, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, central systolic blood pressure, and central diastolic blood pressure (all P<0.001). The maximum change from baseline in Bazett's corrected QT interval for drinks A, B, and placebo were +17.9±13.9, +19.6±15.8, and +11.9±11.1 ms, respectively ( P=0.005 for ANOVA ) ( P=0.04 and <0.01, respectively compared with placebo). Peripheral and central systolic and diastolic blood pressure were statistically significantly different compared with placebo (all P<0.001). Conclusion Energy drinks significantly prolong the QT c interval and raise blood pressure. Clinical Trial Registration URL : http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT03196908.

Predicting Determinants of Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter for Therapy Elucidation in Patients at Risk for Thromboembolic Events (PREDATE AF) Study.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically significant cardiac rhythm disorder. There is considerable interest in screening for AF, as it is a leading cause of stroke, and oral anticoagulants (OACs) have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of stroke in patients with AF. Improved screening for AF with subsequent treatment may help improve long-term outcomes, but the optimal patient population and screening intensity are unknown. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we prospectively evaluated the use of the CHA2DS2-VASc score for the prediction of new-onset AF using insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) and examined whether this screening led to the initiation of OAC therapy. METHODS: We enrolled 245 subjects with no history of AF and CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2 to be screened for AF with an ICM. The ICMs were programmed to record AF episodes ≥6 minutes in duration. Subjects were followed for 18 months with monthly remote interrogations and all events adjudicated by cardiologists. In subjects diagnosed with AF, medical records were reviewed to determine subsequent care. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 451 ± 185 days, the incidence of AF was 22.4% (95% confidence interval 17.2%-27.7%) with a mean time to detection of 141.3 ± 139.5 days. Among subjects newly diagnosed with AF, 76.4% were prescribed anticoagulation with either a novel OAC (n = 38) or warfarin (n = 4). CONCLUSION: In this large prospective cohort of subjects with CHA2DS2-VASc scores ≥2, 22.4% were newly diagnosed with AF and the majority of these subjects were given OACs, suggesting a potential role of ICMs in AF screening.

A 43-year-old colonel with chills, diaphoresis, and headache.

The objectives were to illustrate the ease with which one might attribute concomitant or subsequent illness to an exposure such as the anthrax vaccine and to demonstrate an approach that keeps the significance of such exposures in appropriate perspective. A 43-year-old, active duty, Army officer presents with a variety of nonspecific common symptoms and raises concerns about the relationship of his symptoms to receipt of the anthrax vaccine. He is admitted for an evaluation that includes a series of diagnostic tests and consultations. The course of his illness and the corresponding evaluation are reviewed using a series of questions and accompanying discussions to highlight key points regarding diagnostic considerations, the anthrax vaccine, and the ultimate identification of the correct diagnosis.

Chest pain and ST segment elevation attributable to cholecystitis: a case report and review of the literature.

Chest pain with electrocardiographic changes is usually a life-threatening presentation of cardiac ischemia. There are, however, a variety of noncardiac conditions that have been reported to mimic these clinical and electrocardiographic changes. An Asian woman presented with chest pain and ST segment elevations in the distribution of the left anterior descending artery. She had persisting chest pain and ST segment elevations that were refractory to medical therapy, leading to thrombolytic therapy and rescue angiography, which revealed no evidence of coronary artery disease by coronary catherization. Cholecystitis was subsequently diagnosed with hepatobiliary scintigraphy. The patient's fever and ST segment elevations promptly resolved with antibiotic treatment. Four previous cases of ST segment elevation attributed to cholecystitis have been reported. Although the electrocardiographic changes attributed to cholecystitis have been shown to be correctable, the pathophysiological mechanism underlying these changes remains unclear. Prompt recognition of cholecystitis can ensure appropriate treatment and may prevent the performance of unnecessary diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Cardiovascular Complaints Among Military Members During Operation Enduring Freedom.

During Operation Enduring Freedom, the US military began deploying a dedicated theater cardiology consultant to Afghanistan in an effort to increase rates of return to duty in service members with cardiovascular complaints. This study was designed to categorize these complaints and determine the effect on both aeromedical evacuation and return to duty rates during a 2.5 year observation period. A total of 1,495 service members were evaluated, with 43% presenting due to chest pain followed by arrhythmias/palpitations (24.5%) and syncope (13.5%). Eighty-five percent of individuals returned to duty, most commonly with complaints of noncardiac chest pain, palpitations, or abnormal electrocardiograms. Fifteen percent were evacuated out of theater, most often with acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary embolus, or ventricular tachycardia. The forward-deployed theater cardiology consultant is vital in the disposition of military members by effectively parsing out life threatening cardiovascular conditions versus low risk diagnoses that can safely return to duty.

Exercise-induced syncope associated with QT prolongation and ephedra-free Xenadrine.

The Food and Drug Administration recently banned the sale of ephedra alkaloids because of their association with arrhythmic sudden death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. This has resulted in the emergence of formulations marketed for weight loss and performance enhancement that are "ephedra free" but contain other sympathomimetic substances, the safety of which has not been established. We report a case of exercise-induced syncope in a healthy 22-year-old woman that occurred 1 hour after she took the second dose of Xenadrine EFX, an ephedra-free weight-loss supplement. Electrocardiography revealed prolongation of the QT interval (corrected QT, 516 milliseconds); this resolved in 24 hours. Results of echocardiography and exercise stress testing were normal. Nine months of monitoring with an implanted loop recorder revealed no arrhythmias in the absence of Xenadrine EFX. Although this product contains a number of compounds whose pharmacologic effect is poorly characterized, notable quantities of phenylephrine are present, and the proarrhythmic potential of this compound in the setting of exercise is discussed.

Gender differences and risk of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Healthy women have longer QT intervals and more drug-induced proarrhythmia compared to men, yet those given implantable cardioverter-difibrillators (ICDs) for ischemic cardiomyopathy have fewer episodes of ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) than men. The role of repolarization duration and stability in arrhythmogenesis in men and women with structural heart disease has not been explored. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to analyze repolarization differences between men and women and their relation to the risk of VT/VF. METHODS: Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Trial II study patients underwent 10-minute, resting digitized recordings at study entry. QT and heart rate were measured for each beat with a semiautomated method. QT variance was normalized for mean QT (QTVN) or for heart rate variance (QTVI). Spectral analysis of heart rate and QT time series was performed; coherence was indexed to quantify consistency of heart rate and QT power spectra. The incidence of VT/VF was determined by ICD interrogation. RESULTS: There were 805 usable recordings (142 females); 463 received ICDs (86 females). There was no gender difference in mean or median QT, QTc, or heart rate. QTVN and QTVI were slightly (but significantly) higher, and the mean coherence was lower in women. In a Cox multivariate analysis, increased QTVN or QTVI (top quartile) was associated with a significantly higher risk for VT/VF in men (QTVN hazard ratio (HR) 2.2; confidence interval [CI] 1.4-3.4; P = .001; QTVI HR 1.9; CI 1.2-3.0; P = .006) but not in women, while reduced coherence (bottom quartile) predicted VT/VF in women (HR 3.3; CI 1.2-9.0; P = .021) but not in men. CONCLUSIONS: In post-myocardial infarcation patients with depressed ejection fraction, both women and men manifest increased temporal variability in the QT interval. In men, QT variability by itself raised arrhythmic risk. In women, however, QT variability dissociated from HR variability (low coherence) appeared to be a uniquely significant predictor of arrhythmic events.

An internal medicine interest group research program can improve scholarly productivity of medical students and foster mentoring relationships with internists.

BACKGROUND: Shortages in primary care careers such as internal medicine are projected in the future. Conducting research is an explicit requirement for graduate medical education and interest in research is growing in undergraduate medical education. PURPOSE: We hypothesized that a medical student research initiative could increase student research productivity and foster mentoring relationships with internists. METHOD: We compared the number of medical student presentations, awards, and peer-reviewed publications before and after a brief research initiative at a single institution and recorded comments from student participants; data collected before the initiative were retrospective, and data after the initiative were collected prospectively. Mann-Whitney U was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-seven students participated in our workshop initiative during the study period (2000-2005). Eighteen (67%) subsequently had presentations, research awards, and/or publications during the study period. Mann-Whitney U testing of groups (all pre-initiative Uniformed Services University students and initiative participants) showed a statistically significant increase in regional presentations (p = .003), research awards (p = .01), and publications (p = .02) after the research initiative. Student comments not only revealed research mentoring benefits but also commented on receiving career counseling advice from mentors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study findings support the feasibility of this initiative as well as produced significant outcomes in terms of quantified research productivity and student mentoring.