Electrophysiology test for arrhythmia
An electrophysiology (EP) study is a test that can precisely record the electrical activity inside the heart. It is often used to determine whether there is an extra electrical pathway inside the heart and, if so, where it is located.
During an EP test, one or more thin, flexible wires are inserted into veins in the arm, groin, or neck and threaded into the heart. Small electrical conductors (called electrodes) on the ends of these wires are positioned inside the heart to measure electrical signals. The wires transmit information about the electrical activity to a machine that measures and records the activity. The information can be displayed on a screen or printed onto a paper tracing for a more detailed picture of how electrical signals flow inside the heart.
Electrical currents can also be sent through the wires into the heart (pacing). This is done during the procedure to determine whether abnormal rhythms can be triggered in the heart. This allows the doctor to determine the type of heart rhythm abnormality and the best way to treat it.
In a recent study, an electrophysiologic test was found to be useful in identifying people with coronary artery disease who are at risk for sudden death or cardiac arrest.1
Extra electrical pathways can sometimes be located and destroyed during an EP study. This is called radiofrequency catheter ablation. A special catheter with a large platinum electrode on the tip is used to deliver radio waves to the heart muscle. The energy waves create heat, which damages selected areas of heart muscle that can carry abnormal electrical signals inside the heart.
An EP study can take several hours and can be slightly uncomfortable. You may be awake during this test, but you may be given a mild sedative to help you relax. Strong sedatives are usually not used because they may change the heart's electrical activity and affect the test results.
Complications during the test are uncommon but may include:
- Bruising where the catheter is inserted.
- Bleeding.
- Formation of a blood clot.
- Infection.
- An abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia) that cannot be controlled.
- Damage to the electrical system of the heart, requiring placement of a pacemaker.
- Puncture of the heart.
| Author: | Douglas Dana Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: February 7, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Laurence Epstein, MD - Cardiac Electrophysiologist Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology | |
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