2023-09-07 08:45:31
“Arrhythmic storm” is a serious medical condition that is characterized by recurrent episodes of ventricular tachycardia and that represents an imminent danger of sudden death for patients. Analysis of the experts in the new blog post “Health and Prevention”.
Arrhythmic storm images obtained by 3D cartography. Photo courtesy of Quironsalud.
This cardiac emergency, the “arrhythmic storm”, requires urgent and highly complex medical intervention to stabilize the heart rhythm and prevent fatal consequences.
Primarily affecting patients with heart disease, “arrhythmic storm” occurs when the heart experiences significant electrical instability. These episodes manifest as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, both of which are abnormal and life-threatening heart rhythms.
He doctor Josep Brugada, director of the Arrhythmia Unit of the Hospital Quirónsalud Palmaplanas from Palma de Mallorca, explains: “Unlike other cardiac rhythm disorders, ‘arrhythmic storm’ cannot be controlled or stabilized with conventional medication or through the use of an Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)”.
Multidisciplinary team
The incidence of “arrhythmic storm” varies between 10% and 20% in patients with an ICD who have previously experienced an arrhythmia. Therefore, it is crucial to identify and properly treat these patients to prevent serious complications, such as sudden death.
The approach to the “arrhythmic storm” requires the participation of a highly specialized multidisciplinary medical team, made up of cardiologists who are experts in the treatment of complex arrhythmias, in addition to having the collaboration of the Critical Care Unit and the support of the team of anesthetists.
Electrophysiology team at the Quirónsalud Palmaplanas Hospital in Palma de Mallorca. courtesy photo
Coordination and collaboration between these professionals is essential to guarantee comprehensive and effective care.
Before urgent intervention, a cardiac CT is performed to accurately locate the infarcted area that is at the origin of the arrhythmia. This allows precise planning of the procedure and proper identification of the diseased regions causing the arrhythmias.
Dr Brugada states: “The use of state-of-the-art technology such as the Carto 3D navigation system has proven to be unrivaled. This innovative technology uses a magnetic field around the patient’s thorax to accurately reconstruct cardiac anatomy and guide ablation with a high success rate.”
State-of-the-art technology for the “arrhythmic storm”
During the procedure, catheters are inserted through the patient’s leg to perform 3D mapping of the heart chambers in real time, thus avoiding the need for X-rays.
The Carto 3D navigation system makes it possible to identify all potential tachycardia circuits and record electrical signals within the heart.
Once the area has been mapped and all the abnormal circuits have been identified, radiofrequency ablation is performed. This procedure consists of applying controlled heat to pathological heart tissue to destroy it, thus eliminating the cause of arrhythmias.
The duration of the intervention is usually less than two hours and, if completed successfully, leaves the patient at no risk of further arrhythmias.
In accordance with the recommendations of the European Cardiology Guidelinespatients with “arrhythmic storm” should be referred early to specialized units capable of ablating complex arrhythmic substrates.
In summary, “stopping storm” is a high-risk medical emergency characterized by recurrent episodes of ventricular tachycardia that pose an imminent threat to the patient’s life.
It requires the intervention of a highly specialized multidisciplinary medical team and the use of advanced technologies such as the Carto 3D navigation system. Radiofrequency ablation is performed to remove pathologic tissue causing arrhythmias.
This comprehensive and precise approach is essential to stabilize the heart rhythm and prevent serious complications in patients with “arrhythmic storm”.
#arrhythmic #storm #highrisk #cardiac #emergency