The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : 50 per cent of patients `need electrocardiology care'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 18, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

50 per cent of patients `need electrocardiology care'

Special Correspondent

Stress on training to handle electrical malfunction of the heart

CHENNAI : "In a sense, cardiology began 100 years ago, with the clinical application of the Electrocardiogram," says K.P.Misra, cardiac electro physiologist and president, Indian Society of Electrocardiology.

The ECG, which since its invention has evolved as the basic diagnostic tool of cardiology, is actually within the realm of the super speciality -Electrocardiology. The heart is an electromechanical pump, the coupling of its mechanical action and electrical action leads the heart to function, explains Dr.Misra.

While disorder in the mechanics of the heart can result in congenital, rheumatic and coronary artery disease, irregularities in these electrical impulses generated in the heart enter the super speciality of electro cardiology.

Fifty per cent of all patients admitted in the Cardiac critical and intensive care units would require electro cardiology care, while 20 per cent of out patients call for attention from an electro cardiologist, Ulhas Pandurangi, electrocardiologist, explains, to demonstrate the magnitude of the problem. Most sudden deaths occur due to electrical disturbances in the heart, he adds.

About 50 per cent of the deaths are due to arrhythmia or irregular pulse rhythm, Ajit Mullasari, head of cardiology, Madras Medical Mission, adds. There was a pressing need to train and equip personnel with skills to handle conditions arising out of electrical malfunction of the heart and build infrastructure to cope with the therapeutic requirements.

Especially since it is possible to cure patients with arrhythmia, as Melvin Scheinman, acknowledged as the pioneer of modern electrophysiology. Dr.Scheinman, who is professor at the University of California, San Francisco, says, "the incredible thing is we can cure them." He is credited with performing the first ever `catheter ablation' for cardiac arrhythmia, paving the way for `permanent cure of the electrical problems of the heart.'

It is in order to celebrate the completion of 100 years of clinical application of ECG and to train personnel in electro cardiology that the Indian Society of Electro cardiology is organising its annual conference in Chennai, which would be inaugurated on Saturday. The meet which would continue on Sunday has the theme, `Peep into the past, assess the present and project the future.' It will also be held under the auspices of Cardiology Society of India and Association of Physicians of India, Chennai.

The Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Madras Medical Mission, is providing the infrastructure for the conference. ISECON 2006 will be held at Hotel Le Meridien.

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