Our Ohio valley cyclocross season isn’t over yet, but there are two outs in the ninth. This weekend, the site of the final act is Indianapolis IN. The short, cold and cloudy days of December mesh with the fatigue of year-long competition to deplete one of any remaining remnants of caring. Like 4 AM felt […]
In treating atrial fibrillation (AF), this year has witnessed some real excitement. Â And not all the good news has to do with new pills. Recently, there has been a flurry of encouraging and objective news on ablating AF. Here are some comments on three notable studies that address three important questions: What are the ‘long-term’ […]
In atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, things are changing for the better. And good news makes for good blog posts. How do I know times are changing? Because I heard an EP nurse say something stunning–a sign of a new era in electrophysiology. Recently, during an incredibly difficult PVC ablation, she whispered cautiously to herself, “I’d rather […]
I cannot stand it; that mickey-mouse web address had to go. Cyclists have dress codes. WordPress looks so much better. I am in the process of changing over, with help of course. The first step was changing my domain name. It is now: www.drjohnm.org Such changes feels like putting together christmas presents without a manual. […]
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Happy Thanksgiving
A mom who took care of us kids far better than she did herself, always. A Dad whose advice grew better with years, although it was good then. Two brothers and a sister to share a driveway basketball court with, rain or shine. The infinite love of grandparents, who lived within hollaring distance over an […]
The desire is there. A longing to stand on those rickety rain-soaked hay bales after a hard fought race. To win, to twist someone’s legs off, or perhaps, just to here someone refer to you as a “good rider” fuels the fires of self-validation. And these visceral desires are not only the domain of professional […]
As the commenters correctly pointed out, this Sunday’s case involving the patient with recurrent syncope is indeed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia–aptly named torsades de pointes (‘twisting of the points’). TDP is associated with prolongation of the QT interval, and pause-dependent PVCs (and VT). A serious malady indeed. ICD evaluation showed hundreds of these episodes The initial ECG strengthened […]
He was dressed causally in jeans, a loosely collared shirt and a near perfect tan, as if it was happily acquired outdoors, not in a tanning booth. This Monday morning on GMA, Dan Buettner, a member of the crazed ultra-endurance cycling fraternity sat before millions of viewers, with the perfectly coiffed George Stephanopoulus, and proclaimed […]
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ECG Quiz…
This one fell in the bucket: “John, you had better go check this out.” The septuagenerian presented to the emergency department because of repeated bouts of syncope. (Syncope is medical speak for temporary loss of consciousness.) Â As Indiana electrophysiology fellows, we had two categories of passing out: “he passed out…cold,” or “he passed out…stone cold.” […]
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Saturday Morning Coffee
Enjoy this with your morning coffee. For the record, this is not how ‘masters’ bike racers roll. JMM
We were told ties were mandatory. And no facial hair. There were 5 technicians, cameras, lights and meters. In such formal dress, normally confident cardiologists looked unsure. My Cardiology group’s photo-shoot was a formal show. Scarily formal, like The Firm would have had. Why so formal? Because it happened. We could not hold out […]