Electrophysiologic Testing

Excerpt

A notable increase in invasive electrophysiological (EP) testing and catheter ablation procedures performed all over the world has been observed over the past twenty-five years. This activity will focus on the indications, technique, and complications of the electrophysiological study (EPS). The EPS is an invasive procedure that needs catheter placement into the right heart via the femoral vein, using the Seldinger technique. The aim is to stimulate the heart using two pacing techniques: extra-stimulus pacing and incremental pacing. The use of extra stimulus pacing reveals the refractory periods, conduction and activation changes, diagnostic for certain diseases. The incremental pacing helps for observing and measuring the impulse conduction during stress conditions and evaluates the recovery time of normal function at the cessation of stimulation.