A-A Ebulletin October 2006

Welcome to the October e-bulletin from the Arrhythmia Alliance. This month we wanted to let you know about the success of the first UK Heart Rhythm Congress. There's also news on the Heart Rhythm Society's recommendations for patients, a new magazine from the British Heart Foundation, a campaing to increase first aid education in schools, key dates for your diary and much more. You'll also find links to the month's most relevant news stories from around the world. We're always glad to hear from you so if you'd like to contact us, please email info@arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk at any time.

If you've found this bulletin useful, why not forward it to a friend, colleague or members of your group and make sure as many people as possible know about the Arrhythmia Alliance?

The British Heart Foundation is launching a UK-wide magazine called Saving Lives. Its purpose is to improve communication between volunteers supporting emergency life support groups, community responders, statutory emergency services (fire, police and ambulance) and the voluntary societies. All of these have vital roles to play in helping improve outcome for patients who suffer cardiac arrests in the community. Saving Lives highlights local projects that form part of the National Defibrillator Programme (NDP) which aims to increase access to defibrillation in the community and increase numbers trained in Basic Life Support and the use of an AED. Subscribe now at equipment@bhf.org.uk


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Welcome to October's Arrhythmia Alliance e-bulletin
Welcome to the October e-bulletin from the Arrhythmia Alliance. This month we wanted to let you know about the success of the first UK Heart Rhythm Congress. There's also news on the Heart Rhythm Society's recommendations for patients, a new magazine from the British Heart Foundation, a campaing to increase first aid education in schools, key dates for your diary and much more. You'll also find links to the month's most relevant news stories from around the world. We're always glad to hear from you so if you'd like to contact us, please email info@arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk at any time.
Everyclick
Can you help Arrhythmia Alliance raise money? (www.arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk) If you make www.everyclick.com your home page and choose A-A as your nominated charity then everytime you use it as a search engine you will be raising funds for A-A without it costing you a penny. I set it up today on my computer and have already raised £2.75 in one day! Imagine how much we could all raise over a year and if you tell your friends and family, maybe even your employer and work colleagues. we could raise even more. Please take a look at this new search engine and consider using it to help raise much needed funds. How www.everyclick.com allocate money to charities Eeveryclick allocates 50% of its gross revenue to charity each month. Each listed charity receives a proportion of that sum equivalent to the proportion in which its supporters use the website relative to the supporters of other listed charities. The activity of everyclick website users who do not select a specific charity will benefit all listed charities on a pro rata basis. Supporters are defined as anyone who selects a listed charity from the everyclick website to benefit from their use of the site or who uses everyclick's website via a referral from the website of a listed charity It only takes seconds to select as your home page and already you will be raising money from the comfort of your home or office! Thank you so much and please forward to all your contacts
The UK Heart Rhythm Congress – part one. By Derek T. Connelly, President, Heart Rhythm UK and Trustee, Arrhythmia Alliance
The first UK Heart Rhythm Congress was held on 19-21 September 2006, hosted jointly by Heart Rhythm UK (HRUK) and the Arrhythmia Alliance. The event was bigger and more successful that any of us could have imagined. We expected between 150 and 300 delegates; we ended up with nearly 800 registered over the course of the three days.They came from around the world, including Australia, South & North America, Africa, the Middle East, Continental Europe and the UK – a truly international meeting.A total of 107 speakers / chairpersons contributed to the scientific content of the programme. Plenary sessions on the delivery of arrhythmia care (including the views of the patient and carer) and the implementation of national and international guidelines were interspersed with more specialised sessions on various aspects of device management, radiofrequency ablation, and assessment of patients with inherited arrhythmic syndromes. Two live ablation cases were transmitted from London to the NMM, one performed by Richard Schilling and the other by Martin Lowe. These cases highlighted the utility of different mapping systems for complex interventional electrophysiology. The nurses’ and physiologists’ subgroups ran their own sessions. Patients’ charities, including STARS, the Syncope Trust And Reflex anoxic Seizure group, and SADS UK, the Sudden Adult Death group, also hosted their meetings concurrently with the professional meetings. The Heart Improvement Programme session focused on the work of the device network study group, which is mapping variations in pacemaker and ICD implant rates throughout England. Didactic courses were run over the three days on electrophysiology, pacing and ICDs, based on the contents of the HRUK / BPEG Cambridge courses and the Electrophysiology Masterclass. The event also included the Annual General Meeting of HRUK as well as HRUK council meeting and Arrhythmia Alliance Executive Committee meeting. The scientific content of the programme was enhanced by the thirty poster presentations of original research, and we look forward to the abstracts being published in a forthcoming issue of Europace. Six abstracts were selected for the Young Investigator’s Award, and that award was won by Dr Thomas from Papworth Hospital, Cambridge. The quality of the scientific presentations at the Young Investigator’s Award session was reassuringly high, and it is hoped that this session will continue to attract high quality entrants in future years. Most of the work of organising the meeting was done by the Arrhythmia Alliance staff, headed by Trudie Lobban, assisted by Laura Newton and a cohort of volunteers, all of whose efforts are greatly appreciated. All the speakers, delegates and industry personnel displayed tremendous enthusiasm and many have given us excellent feedback. This was a new venture for us, and we hope to make it even more successful next year: we are already beginning to plan the 2007 meeting and are looking at a number of possible venues. We hope to see you there next year, and we also hope to shape the content of the congress to the needs of the delegates, so your feedback is of paramount importance. If you do have any suggestions as to the running of the congress or its location, please email trudie@stars.org.uk Any suggestions about the content of the sessions should be sent to hruk@bcs.com
The UK Heart Rhythm Congress – part two - Report by Andrew Fear, Trustee of STARS and Carer of Arrhythmia Patients
I recently attended the Heart Rhythm Congress at The National Motorcycle Museum. I was there to assist with the running of the conference and also to take part as a speaker and carer. It was very good to be part of the AA team running the conference for the three days. There was a good cross section of doctors, nurses, industry reps, patients, carers and patient groups in attendance, so we had a varied range of topics to listen to. There were a lot of positives that came out of this conference: one main point that came across was that professionals now regard listening to patients to be as important as getting tests and diagnoses. The value of patient groups like the AA, STARS and SADS have had an impact on the profession and they are starting to understand their benefits. I highlighted the point that there is still a huge difference in services being offered by different hospitals, but I also stated that things are improving in arrhythmia services. The audience seemed to agree strongly with these points. The conference was a very busy three days for all of us helping to run it, but it would have been a lot harder if hadn’t been for the work Trudie, Laura and the rest of the AA team had put in during the weeks leading up to it.
Get talking on the new A-A message board!
The Arrhythmia Alliance has just set up a Message Board for A-A members where you can post messages to other members and receive replies. It's a great way to ask for advice, exchange views, offer support and make contact with others. To join in, just click on the link below, then click on “Join this Group” and get talking! http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/heartrhythm-AA/
Do you have a story to tell?	Pass it on!
Could other people benefit from your experiences? We are looking for patients and/or families who are willing to share their experiences with others through the media. We’d particularly like to hear from people who struggled to obtain a correct diagnosis or who found their GPs knew little about their condition. All stories are dealt with confidentially and you will be able to approve your written case study before it is given to the media. If you think telling your story might help other people, please email info@arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk for more information.	If you've found this bulletin useful, why not forward it to a friend, colleague or members of your group and make sure as many people as possible know about the Arrhythmia Alliance?
Heart Rhythm Society’s recommendations for patients
The Heart Rhythm Society has issued final recommendations to provide heart patients with clearer, timelier and more consistent information about the recall process and the performance of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The recommendations also offer specific guidance to physicians, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials and members of Congress about performance issues and advisories for implantable cardiac devices. The changes should help patients’ continued confidence and trust in these lifesaving treatments. Read more at http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-09/g-hrs092706.php
The latest news for heart professionals
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 45,000 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean. Its mission is to reduce the impact of cardiovascular disease in Europe. As well as organising scientific and educational initiatives, it promotes prevention messages to the general public. Find out more at http://www.escardio.org/
Learn first aid and save a life
The British Red Cross is calling on the government to increase first aid education in schools, including CPR techniques for use in case of cardiac arrest. Read about the “Life. Live it.” campaign at http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=58803
New Saving Lives magazine
The British Heart Foundation is launching a UK-wide magazine called Saving Lives. Its purpose is to improve communication between volunteers supporting emergency life support groups, community responders, statutory emergency services (fire, police and ambulance) and the voluntary societies. All of these have vital roles to play in helping improve outcome for patients who suffer cardiac arrests in the community. Saving Lives highlights local projects that form part of the National Defibrillator Programme (NDP) which aims to increase access to defibrillation in the community and increase numbers trained in Basic Life Support and the use of an AED. Subscribe now at equipment@bhf.org.uk
In case of emergency (ICE)
We think this excellent idea should considered by anyone who carries a mobile phone. In the event of your being involved in an accident, the Police would first try to contact your family through the contacts on your mobile. Their task would be so much easier and quicker if you included one or more In Case of Emergency numbers in the phonebook. It is suggested that three ICE numbers are included, labelled ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3. With so many children having their own mobiles, it would be reassuring to know that you would be contacted immediately in an emergency.
The latest from CVDSL
Here are some highlights from the latest bulletin from the Cardiovascular Diseases Specialist Library (CVDSL): ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 guidelines for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death : executive summary ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 guidelines for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation : executive summary NICE - High intensity focused ultrasound ablation for atrial fibrillation as an associated procedure with other cardiac surger You can read the full CVDSL bulletin every month on the AA website – visit www.arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk
Business Case templates now available
The AA can provide sample Business Case templates across the following cardiac device therapy areas: implantable loop recorders, pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronisation therapy devices. Please contact the Arrhythmia Alliance to request a business case template, stating which therapy area you are interesting in and give your email address. We also have access to a budget impact model created for the implementation of the ICD NICE Guidance 2006. It is an interactive computer tool that allows planning on a geography specific basis. As before if you are interested in having access to this tool please send us an email with your contact details (as this is a computer program it cannot be emailed). We will then give you more information.
Do you know your NICE from your NSF?
Every month, read the latest bulletin from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the AA website, where you’ll also find an update on the National Service Framework. Just go to www.arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk
New arrhythmia service in Wolverhampton
News from the Wolverhampton Coronary Aftercare Support Group. Since his appointment in May, Andy Lapper has been busy setting up the new Arrhythmia service to meet the requirements of the National Service Framework Chapter 8 “Arrhythmia and Sudden Cardiac Death”. This has included visiting other centres in Manchester and Oxford to see how their services run. He has also been developing policies and procedures and patient assessment documentation. The biggest achievement so far has been the development and commencement of a Nurse-Led Suspected Arrhythmia Clinic. This is a one-stop clinic for patients who are referred by their GP with a suspected arrhythmia. Find out more at http://www.have-a-heart.net/index.htm
Forthcoming events
Defibrillators Information Seminar 23 October 2006, MHRA, Vauxhall, London UK Half-day defibrillators training and information seminar for nursing staff, paramedics, resuscitation training officers and community defibrillation officers. Register online at http://www.mhra.gov.uk/mhra/conferences/register.htm email mhraconferences@mhra.gsi.gov.uk or call 020 7084 2903 Syncope – a one day educational programme Monday 20 November, the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust, Education Centre. Suitable for anyone involved in the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients suffering from vasovagal syncope including doctors, clinical physiologists, nurses and physiotherapists. Qualified and student staff members welcome. Heart failure in older patients – the same only different. 24–25 November 2006, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London. Organised by the British Society for Heart Failure in association with the British Geriatric Society Cardiovascular Section. Details from Rose-Marie Wilkinson/Michelle Glanville, BSH Secretariat, ‘Nought’ The Farthings, Marcham, Oxfordshire OX13 6QD. Tel: 01993 846475/01865 391215, Email: info@bsh.org.uk Website: www.bsh.org.uk XII International Symposium on Progress in Clinical Pacing 5-8 December, Hotel Cavalieri Hilton, Rome. Congress to improve the knowledge of physicians in electrophysiology and pacing. Phone: +39 06 809681 Fax: +39 06 8088491. Email: pacing2006@aimgroup.it - www.aimgroup.it/2006/pacing Managing Patients with ICDs 17-18 January 2007, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. P rovides participants with a working knowledge of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators and the safe management of this patient group. Places limited to allow for high ratio of tutors to delegates. Details from Ruzena Uddin, Cardiology Research Department at St Bartholomew's Hospital, Dominion House, 60 Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7BE. www.cardiac-cardiology.org. Tel +44 20 7601 8639 AntiCoagulation Europe Conference, Birmingham University,26-27 April 2007. Registration for patients £10 a day. Early bird registration for healthcare professionals is £60 a day or £100 for 2 days for applications received before February 2007 (thereafter £80 and £120). For a registration form, please contact anticoagulation@ntlworld.com
Here's a selection of items of interest from the internet. Please note that these are external links and we bear no responsibility for their content. You may need to register to access these sites.
Evaluating patients with possible syncope for sports participation - AAP News (subscription) - USA Routine ECGs for newborns would identify long QT syndrome- Xagena.it - Italy Implantable defibrillators may increase heart failure risk- Xagena.it - Italy Landmark European Trial Further Demonstrates That Cardiac ...- Die Welt - Germany Fight Back Against Inherited Sudden-Death Heart Condition- Newswise (press release) - USA Warning symptoms often herald sudden cardiac death- Reuters.uk - UK Elderly atrial fibrillation patients lack adequate application of ...- News-Medical.net - Sydney,Australia Advanced Biventricular Pacemakers to all patients with AV-block?- News-Medical.net - Sydney,Australia Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy underdiagnosed- United Press International - USA CHD patients with metabolic syndrome benefit most from aggressive - TheHeart.Org - New York,NY,USA London doctors perform new heart procedure- London Free Press - Canada Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes: A Clinical Perspective - Medscape Weekly Clot Busters Fail to Improve Outcomes in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac - DG News - USA A matter of the heart- CBC News - Canada Advanced Biventricular Pacemakers to all patients with AV-block?- News-Medical.net - Sydney,Australia New Guidelines For Ventricular Arrhythmias And Sudden Cardiac ...- Medical News Today (press release) - UK Medtronic to Host Webcast Highlighting Cardiac Rhythm Disease ...- Genetic Engineering News (press release) - Larchmont,NY,USA Study Identifies Factors Associated With Increased Risk of Cardiac ...- DG News - USA For High Blood Pressure Patients, Preventing Enlarged Heart ...- Newswise (press release) - USA Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (crt) Cost-Effective For ...- Medical News Today (press release) - UK Boys, Girls and Heart Problems- HeartZine - London,UK Antiarrhythmic Therapy for Prevention of Implantable Cardioverter ...- Journal of American Medical Association (subscription) - Chicago,IL,USA JAMA Study Provides Clues to Cause of Sudden Cardiac Death in ...- WebWire (press release) - Atlanta,GA,USA AtriCure wins broader European OK for heart device- Reuters - USA Mum's agony as sons die of rare disease 12 years apart- Mirror.co.uk - London,UK Salt: Is It Killing Us?- ABC News - USA Epinephrine QT stress test reveals concealed type 1 long QT ...- Xagena.it - Italy Heart transplant girl's new life- BBC News - UK Kidney disease increases risk of sudden cardiac death for ICD ...- EurekAlert (press release) - Washington,DC,USA Yes, Doctor, It Can be Done: MRIs Made Safe for People with ...- Newswise (press release) - USA FDA Approves Lechnologies' AfibAlert(TM) Atrial Fibrillation ...- Genetic Engineering News (press release) - Larchmont,NY,USA Author hopes his experiences can prevent many SAD deaths- ic SurreyOnline.co.uk - Surrey,England,UK Elderly atrial fibrillation patients lack adequate application of ...- News-Medical.net - Sydney,Australia Heart hope for 'time bomb' family- Manchester Evening News - Manchester,England,UK You saved my life- Herts 24 - United Kingdom REMINDER: ORLive Presents: Biventricular Defibrillator ...- Market Wire (press release) - USA St Jude gets US, Europe OK for thin pacemaker lead- Reuters - USA Atrial fibrillation: Azimilide is slightly superior to placebo but ...- Xagena.it - Italy The syndrome they call adult cot death- Belfast Telegraph - United Kingdom HeartPoint: Arrhythmias - Introduction FDA Statement on Recommendations to FDA From the Heart Rhythm ...- FDA.gov - USA Find out how you can help prevent Sudden Death Syndrome in young ...- GMTV - UK Advances in Remote Monitoring for Heart Failure: A Collaborative ...- TheHeart.Org - New York,NY,USA Heart database aims to spot drug side effects- Reuters.uk - UK Educational resources for your patients with implanted pacemakers and/or ICDs. Teenager is first local kid to get wireless defibrillator implant- Vancouver Sun (subscription) - British Columbia, Canada St. Jude Medical Comments on Heart Rhythm Society Recommendations ...- Genetic Engineering News (press release) - New Rochelle,NY,USA Young athletes' cardiac deaths called rare- United Press International - USA Emotional day for runner's family- BBC News - UK Sudden noise could kill heart-boy Daniel- Manchester Evening News - Manchester,England,UK Newly Launched Website to Provide Alternative Method of Relieving ...- Newswire Today (press release) - London,UK National Screening Slows Sudden Cardiac Deaths Among Athletes- MedPage Arrhythmia- Arrhythmias are disorders of the heart's regular rhythmic beating. Find out what you need to know about Team care approach helps patients consider ICD-shock withdrawal in ...- TheHeart.Org - New York,NY,USA ECG screening slashes sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes- TheHeart.Org - New York,NY,USA Study: Italian Screening Program Reduces Sudden Cardiac Deaths- ABC News - USA
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