R on T or R on P phenomenon? Relation to the genesis of ventricular tachycardia

Optimizing parameters for terminating cortical afterdischarges with pulse stimulation

PURPOSE

We previously reported that brief pulses of electrical stimulation (BPSs) can terminate afterdischarges (ADs) during cortical stimulation. We investigated conditions under which BPS is more likely to suppress ADs.

METHODS

We analyzed parameters altering BPS effectiveness on 200 ADs in seven patients with implanted subdural electrodes.

RESULTS

The odds of BPSs stopping ADs was 8.6 times greater at primary sites (directly stimulated electrodes) than at secondary sites (adjacent electrodes) (p = 0.016). BPS applied within 4.5 s after onset of AD had 2 times greater odds of stopping ADs (p = 0.014). BPS applied when AD voltage was negative was 1.9 times more likely to stop ADs (p = 0.012). ADs with rhythmic pattern responded best (p < 0.0001). BPS stopped 100% of ADs not starting immediately after localization stimulus (LS) versus 29% of those starting immediately (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

BPS is more likely to terminate ADs at primary electrodes, if given early, if applied to the negative peak of the AD waveform, if AD has a rhythmic pattern, and if AD did not start immediately after LS.

How the university cardiologist treats ventricular premature beats: a nationwide survey of 65 University Medical Centers

Sixty-five of 118 university cardiologists responded to a survey of indications for treatment of ventricular ectopy, particularly in the completely asymptomatic patient or those with palpitations as the only symptom. The percentage of cardiologists treating these patients increased as the complexity of ventricular ectopy increased, as the severity of underlying heart disease increased, as the symptoms increased from completely asymptomatic to palpitations or skipped beats, if the patient experienced dizziness or syncope, and if the patient had complex VPBs or asymptomatic VT after MI. Ninety-eight percent of respondents had patients who experienced exacerbation of arrhythmia with antiarrhythmic drugs. Of the conventional type 1 drugs, the drug of first choice was quinidine for 60%, procainamide for 37%, and disopyramide for 3%. The accepted indications for electrophysiologic testing included survivors of sudden cardiac arrest and patients with symptomatic VT.

The timing of ventricular premature complexes initiating chronic ventricular tachycardia

Prematurity index (PI), defined as the ratio of the coupling to QT intervals of isolated ventricular premature complexes (VPC) and those initiating ventricular tachycardia (VT) on 24-hour ambulatory ECG recording, was examined in 496 episodes of VT occurring in 122 patients. The PI of VPC initiating VT was less than 1 in only 62 (13%) of the VT episodes and occurred in 14 patients. Although the range of PI was similar for isolated VPC and those initiating VT, for individual patients the PI of VPC initiating VT was significantly longer than the PI of isolated VPC (P less than 0.01). This relationship was not affected by age, sex, presence of absence of heart disease, or drug therapy. The coupling interval of the first VT complex was longer than the first interectopic interval of the VT (VT1-VT2) in 88 (72%) patients; and, the VT1-VT2 interval correlated strongly with the average R-R during VT (r = 0.75), (p less than 0.001). The VT was irregular in 48 patients with 300 episodes of VT. Irregularity of the VT was significantly associated with shorter duration of VT (p less than 0.05). These results show that, for individual patients, the PI of VPC initiating VT tends to be longer than that of isolated VPC, and that the rate of VT is usually predictable from the duration of the first interectopic interval of the VT. These results may have mechanistic implications.

Coupling interval and types of ventricular ectopic activity associated with ventricular runs

Repetitive 10-hour ECG recordings of 289 patients obtained within a year after myocardial infarction were analyzed for the presence of ventricular runs, and their association with various types of ventricular ectopic activity (VEA), average rate of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs), and coupling interval of PVCs initiating the runs. Tapes which contained complex VEA (bigeminy, multiform PVCs, couplets, or runs), early PVCs (coupling interval less than 400 msec), or late PVCs (coupling interval greater than 600 msec) had a substantially higher average PVC rate than those without them. The occurrence of ventricular runs was significantly more likely in tapes having other complex VEA or late PVCs than in those without them, and when tapes were stratified by PVC rates the presence of these dysrhythmias appeared to have an independent predictive value for the occurrence of runs. In contrast, the influence of early PVCs on the occurrence of runs was rather minimal, and this seemed to be related to their common association with the PVC rate. Furthermore, a larger percentage of isolated PVCs had coupling intervals between 400 msec and 600 msec, and most couplets (77%) and runs (67.8%) were initiated by PVCs with coupling intervals in this range. However, the proportion of either short (less than 400 msec) or long (greater than 600 msec) coupling interval PVCs initiating couplets or runs was significantly higher than those with intermediate coupling intervals (between 400 and 600 msec).

Sudden death recorded during Holter monitoring

Six instances of sudden death were recorded by Holter monitoring, which showed ventricular fibrillation in five and a bradyarrhythmia in one. Complex ventricular ectopic activity preceded cardiac arrest in five patients, including the one with the bradyarrhythmic arrest. Two patients with chronic bifascicular block arrested as a result of ventricular fibrillation. Fifteen cases reports from the literature are reviewed. The composite profile includes advanced myocardial disease (present in all cases), complex ventricular ectopic activity, R-on-T initiation of the terminal rhythm except in patients with prolonged QT interval, and variations in cycle length preceeding the onset of ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. The role of supraventricular mechanisms in sudden death is uncertain.

Role of early cycle ventricular extrasystoles in initiation of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation: evaluation of the R on T phenomenon during acute ischemia in a canine model

Eighteen open chest dogs anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium were studied to determine the role of early cycle premature ventricular beats in the initiation of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation during the initial 30 minutes of acute myocardial ischemia. The coupling interval and prematurity index (R-R'/R-R) of every premature beta after a sinus beat were determined during both the "immediate" (2 to 12 minutes) and "delayed" (13 to 30 minutes) phases of ventricular arrhythmias that follow acute coronary ligation. During the immediate phase, characterized by marked fractionation of local electrograms and delayed intramyocardial conduction, early cycle beats were infrequent (8 percent of extrasystoles) and initiated only 3 (4 percent) of 75 episodes of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. However, during the delayed phase, characterized by less fractionation and more uniform conduction, early cycle beats were both more frequent (24 percent of extrasystoles, p less than 0.001) and more successful (20 [34 percent] of 59 episodes, p less than 0.001) in initiating ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. Thus, the underlying electrophysiologic derangements appeared to be of primary importance in determining both the frequency and relative malignancy of early cycle beats during acute myocardial ischemia.

Clinical significance and characteristics of exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia

Forty-seven patients (0.08%) from a total of 5,730 consecutive patients undergoing treadmill stress tests developed one or more episodes of ventricular tachycardia. Forty patients had heart disease, coronary artery disease being the leading cause. Rest ECG was normal in 12 patients and showed long QTc (greater than 440 msec) in 16 patients. Ventricular tachycardia was brief and self-terminating, requiring D/C cardioversion in only one patient. "Exertional hypotension" preceded ventricular tachycardia in 16 of 34 patients. There was poor correlation (r = 0.16) between the rate of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and the underlying heart rate. Only four episodes of VT were initiated by R on T premature ventricular beats. In summary, exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia 1) is a rare complication of treadmill stress test and occurs in patients with heart disease; 2) is frequently preceded by "exertional hypotension," and 3) is not related to the R on T phenomenon. The high incidence of prolonged QT may indicate a role for the automatic nervous system in its pathogenesis.