Effect of Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program on Self-Efficacy of Patients With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator.

Introduction: For more effective control and treatment of cardiac dysrhythmias caused by diseases, ischemia, or other causes, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is used. One of the effective ways for secondary prevention is the home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) which nurses have an effective role in its implementation. Objective: The study aimed to investigate the effect of implementing HBCR programs on the self-efficacy of patients with ICD. Methods: This is a semi-experimental study conducted on 70 patients who received ICD in Shahid Chamran Heart Center of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) in 2021. The patients were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups and were introduced to the practical concepts of HBCR during four training sessions. In the following, 3-month follow-up and trainings were continued by home visits, telephone follow-up, and use of social messaging networks due to the conditions of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The data were analyzed with SPSS/21. Results: The findings showed that performing HBCR programs was effective in improving the self-efficacy of patients with ICDs. A significant trend in the implementation of the HBCR programs in two groups was shown using chi-square test and independent t-test and variance with repeated measurements (p < .001). There was no significant difference in self-efficacy score in both groups at the beginning of the study (p < .056). Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of HBCR programs on improving the self-efficacy of patients with ICDs, it can be used in the educational care programs of healthcare workers and in the strategic policies of health care services.

Factors associated with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks in patients suffering from non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Although intra-cardiac shocks are a lifesaving approach in patients with systolic heart failure (HF), the probable effective factors related to shock occurrence are less frequently recognized. We designed this study to assess the factors associated with inappropriate or appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). METHODS: Ninety-nine patients with NICM who implanted ICD were enrolled from March 2018 to September 2019 and followed up with a three-month interval for up to one year. Shock therapy was defined as either appropriate or inappropriate shock. The odds ratio (OR) of inappropriate shock occurrence was calculated with crude and different adjusted models. RESULTS: The mean age of the population at baseline was 51.9 ± 15.4 years (men: 71%). Baseline data revealed that patients with inappropriate shocks had higher heart rates (HR), worse New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, and anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) as well as higher percentages of amiodarone usage compared to groups with appropriate or no shock [HR: 96.8 ± 27.8 vs. 79.8 ± 12.1 vs. 76.2 ± 17.6 beats per minute (bpm), P = 0.014; NYHA class IV: 85.7% vs. 74.1% vs. 63.4%, P = 0.041; ATP: 37.5% vs. 29% vs. 5%, P = 0.010; amiodarone usage: 37.5% vs. 25.8% vs. 5%, P = 0.23, respectively]. Further multiple-adjusted OR did not reveal any significant independent association between the aforementioned variables and inappropriate shock incidence. CONCLUSION: This study indicates no significant independent predisposing factor in the occurrence of inappropriate shocks among patients with NICM. Other studies are required in this regard.

The survey of electrophysiology lab activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: With the onset and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospitalization and treatment of noncovid patients were dramatically affected. The aim of this study is to evaluate the electrophysiology (EP) lab activity in a referral center in Iran during the COVID-19 era. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted on EP lab activity in Shahid Chamran Heart Center, Isfahan, Iran. Two periods of COVID-19 occurrence peaks in Iran were compared with same date in 2019. Information was collected on number of diagnostic and therapeutic electrophysiology studies (EPSs) and implantation of intracardiac devices such as permanent pacemaker (PPM), implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). RESULTS: In the first peak of COVID-19 pandemic, both of EPSs and intracardiac device implantations decreased by 80% compared to the same period in 2019. The most common type of device implanted during this period was PPM (70%); however, at the time of control, the ICD (73%) was the most common. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (PSVT) was the best indication for diagnostic and therapeutic EPSs in covid and control periods. In the second peak of prevalence of COVID-19 virus infection in Iran, 6% and 36% decreases in device implantations and EPSs were seen, respectively. During this period, the number of procedures increased, although it was still lower than in 2019. CONCLUSION: A significant reduction in the EP lab activity has been observed during both the COVID-19 pandemic peaks.

Association between ambient air pollution and hospitalization caused by atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown the worst effects of air pollution on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Present study focused on the relationship between atrial fibrillation (AF), as one of the common arrhythmias, and air pollutants in Isfahan, Iran, an industrial city in the Middle East. METHODS: A case-crossover design was used to explore the associations between air pollution and AF hospitalized patients with ventricular response (VR) > 90 beats per minute (bpm) (fast response) and those with VR ≤ 90 bpm. All patients' records were extracted from their hospital files. Air pollutants data including particulate matter less than 10 µ (PM10), PM2.5, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3) were obtained from the Correlation of Air Pollution with Hospitalization and Mortality of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases (CAPACITY) study. Conditional logistic regression test was used to measure the relationship between pollutants and hospitalization due to AF. RESULTS: Records of 369 patients, including 173 men (46.9%) who were hospitalized for AF during the study period and had complete data were extracted. Although a positive but not statistically significant relationship was shown between 10-unit increases in all pollutants (except PM10) and the hospitalization due to AF in patients with rapid VR (RVR), the only significant relationship was observed in case of NO2 [odds ratio (OR) = 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0-2.1, P = 0.031]. CONCLUSION: This study showed positive significant relationships between NO2 and the hospitalization due to AF in patients with RVR. NO2 is a greenhouse gas whose levels are expected to increase due to global environmental changes. Therefore, relevant strategies should be adopted to decrease its levels, especially in industrial cities like Isfahan.

Acute effects of smoking on QT dispersion in healthy males.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death (SCD). QT dispersion (QTD) is an important predictor of cardiac arrhythmia. The aim of this study was to assess the acute effect of smoking a single standard cigarette containing 1.7 mg nicotine on QT interval and QTD in healthy smokers and nonsmokers. METHODS: The study sample population consisted of 40 healthy male hospital staff, including 20 smokers and 20 nonsmokers. They were asked to refrain from smoking at least 6 h before attending the study. A 12-lead surface electrocardiogram (ECG), recorded at paper speed of 50 mm/s, was obtained from all participants before and 10 min after smoking of a single complete cigarette. QT interval, corrected QT interval, QTD, and corrected QT dispersion (QTcD) were measured before and after smoking. RESULTS: Smokers and nonsmokers did not have any significant differences in heart rate (HR) (before smoking = 67.35 ± 5.14 vs. 67.70 ± 5.07, after smoking = 76.70 ± 6.50 vs. 76.85 ± 6.50, respectively), QTD (before smoking = 37.75 ± 7.16 vs. 39.15 ± 6.55, after smoking = 44.75 ± 11.97 vs. 45.50 ± 9.58, respectively), and QTcD (before smoking = 39.85 ± 7.40 vs. 41.55 ± 6.57, after smoking = 50.70 ± 14.31 vs. 51.50 ± 11.71, respectively). However, after smoking a single cigarette, HR, mean QTD, and QTcD significantly increased (all had P value <0.001) in comparison to the measures before smoking. CONCLUSION: Smoking of a single complete cigarette in both smokers and nonsmokers results in significant QTD increase, which can cause arrhythmia and SCD.

Electrocardiographic (ECG) clues to differentiate idiopathic right ventricular outflow tract tachycardia (RVOTT) from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).

INTRODUCTION: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) is a genetic cardiomyopathy that most commonly affects young adults. The most commonly observed reason of death in patients suffering from ARVC/D is sudden cardiac death (SCD). On the other hand, idiopathic right ventricular outflow tract tachycardia (RVOT VT) usually has a benign course. Both of the entities may have ventricular tachycardia (VT) with left bundle branch block (LBBB) pattern and inferior axis. We tried to propose new discriminating electrocardiographic indices for differentiation of foretold entities. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This was a retrospective study. We reviewed records of patients admitted between 2003 and 2012 with the diagnosis of either ARVC/D or RVOT VT that presented with VT (LBBB morphology). RESULT: A total of fifty nine patients (30 RVOT VT and 29 ARVC/D) were enrolled. In ARVC/D group, men were dominant while the reverse was true of RVOT VT. Palpitation was more common in the RVOT VT group (90% vs. 66.7%), but aborted SCD and sustained VT were more common in ARVC/D group. The new ECG criteria proposed by us mean QRS duration in V1-V3, QRS difference in right and left precordial leads, S wave upstroke duration, JT interval dispersion, QRS and JT interval of right to left precordial leads were all significantly longer in ARVC/D when compared to RVOT VT patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The proposed ECG criteria can be used for non-invasive diagnosis of ARVC/D and incorporation in the future updates of ARVC/D task force criteria.