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Ventricular Fibrillation in a Left Ventricular Assist Device Patient: Can the echocardiogram be misleading?
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  • Manavotam Singh,
  • Nitin Malik,
  • Vijaywant Brar,
  • Cyrus Hadadi,
  • Phillip Lam
Manavotam Singh
MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Nitin Malik
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
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Vijaywant Brar
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
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Cyrus Hadadi
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
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Phillip Lam
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
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Abstract

Sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (VF) are life-threatening arrhythmias which remain highly prevalent in patients with advanced heart failure. These ventricular arrhythmias may impair the support provided by CF-LVADs and lead to frequent hospitalizations, antiarrhythmic medication use, external defibrillations, and need for heart transplantation. We report a case in which a patient with a CF-LVAD and an ICD at end-of-life (EOL) presented with asymptomatic low-flow alarms and was found to have VF of unknown duration. Unique in our case was the presence of organized contractility and rhythmic opening of the mitral valve on echocardiogram despite VF on ECG.
14 Oct 2020Submitted to Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology
15 Oct 2020Submission Checks Completed
15 Oct 2020Assigned to Editor
16 Oct 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
02 Nov 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
02 Nov 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
08 Dec 20201st Revision Received
09 Dec 2020Submission Checks Completed
09 Dec 2020Assigned to Editor
09 Dec 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
14 Jan 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
14 Jan 2021Editorial Decision: Accept
Mar 2021Published in Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology volume 32 issue 3 on pages 862-866. 10.1111/jce.14904