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Aim: To analyze the perception of anticoagulation with dabigatran in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation previously treated with vitamin K antagonists over a 6-month period. Materials & methods: This is a prospective, noninterventional, noncontrolled, multicenter study. To assess patients’ perceptions, PACT-Q2 questionnaire was completed. Results: Six hundred and fifty nine patients (73.1 ± 9.4 years, CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc 3.6 ± 1.6) were included. At baseline, the convenience and satisfaction scores were 60.9 ± 24.9 and 49.9 ± 17.7, respectively. The scores significantly increased along the study. Convenience score was higher in males and in patients with low–moderate thromboembolic risk. Satisfaction score was higher in females. Only 8.0% of patients discontinued dabigatran (3.7% due to side effects). Conclusion: Convenience and satisfaction scores for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients treated with dabigatran at 6 months were significantly better than with previous vitamin K antagonists.

Introduction and objectives This report presents the findings of the 2014 Spanish Catheter Ablation Registry. Methods For data collection, each center was allowed to choose freely between 2 systems: retrospective, requiring the completion of a standardized questionnaire, and prospective, involving reporting to a central database. Results Data were collected from 85 centers. A total of 12 871 ablation procedures were performed, for a mean of 149.5 ± 103 procedures per center. The ablation targets most frequently treated were atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (n = 3026; 23.5%), cavotricuspid isthmus (n = 2833; 22.0%), and atrial fibrillation (n = 2498; 19.4%). The number of ablation procedures for ventricular arrhythmias was similar to that of 2013, but there was a slight increase in the treatment of all the ventricular substrates, especially those associated with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia and scarring following myocardial infarction. The overall success rate was 95%, the rate of major complications was 1.3%, and the mortality rate was 0.02%. Conclusions The 2014 registry shows that the number of ablation procedures performed continued its upward trend and that, overall, the success rate was high and the number of complications low. Ablation of complex conditions continued to increase.

Introduction and objectives This report presents the results of the 2013 Spanish Catheter Ablation Registry. Methods Data were collected using 2 systems: retrospectively by completing a dedicated form and prospectively by reporting to a central database. Each participating center chose 1 of the 2 data collection methods. Results Eighty centers voluntarily contributed data to the registry. A total of 11 987 ablation procedures were performed, with a mean (standard deviation) of 149 (105) procedures per center. The 3 main arrhythmic substrates treated were atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (n = 2959; 24.6%), cavotricuspid isthmus ablation (n = 2700; 22.5%), and atrial fibrillation (n = 2201; 18.4%). The number of ventricular ablation procedures was similar to the 2012 activity, but there was a slight increase in procedures for scar-related postmyocardial infarction ventricular tachycardia. The success rate was 94.4%, major complications occurred in 1.8%, and the mortality rate was 0.03%. Conclusions In line with previous reports, the data from the 2013 registry show a continuing increase in the number of ablations performed. Overall, there was a high success rate and few complications. Ablation of complex substrates has continued to increase.

An 82-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of syncope. A 12-lead ECG demonstrated atrial fibrillation with a ventricular response of 35 bpm, and a VVIR (ventricular pacing, ventricular sensing, inhibiting mode, rate response function) pacemaker was implanted using a ventricular active fixation lead via the left subclavian artery. Prior to discharge a chest X-ray was taken and showed normal ventricular lead placement but with a minor lead retraction (figure 1A). One month after implantation she came again to the emergency room with dizziness with a ventricular response of 42 bpm. A chest X-ray was urgently performed and showed ventricular lead retraction (figure 1B, black arrow) secondary to rotation of the pulse generator …

We report a patient with a severe complication after pacemaker implantation. Two months after the implant, …