Clinical Resources

June 29, 2015—The American College of Cardiology (ACC), the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) have collaborated in writing this overview as the first of a series of documents to address issues critical to the appropriate integration of new technologies into the care of patients with atrial fibrillation. 

 See also SCAI/ACC/HRS Institutional and Operator Requirements for Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion. 

May 14, 2015—The Heart Rhythm Society, in partnership with the National Stroke Association, developed a survey initiative that sought to characterize the impact of stroke on AF patients and their caregivers; gaps in knowledge and perspective among physicians and patients; and barriers to effective communication and optimal anticoagulation use.

May 13, 2015—The current document is developed from the foundations established by the 2008 HRS Consensus Statement as well as the 2012 International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiography and European Heart Rhythm Association’s Expert Consensus Statement on Remote Monitoring of CIEDs. The goals of follow-up, definition of hardware, and personnel remain the same and will not be covered in this document except where evolution of remote technologies and responsibilities has occurred. The current document provides new recommendations based on data published since 2008, endorsing the need to maintain consistent follow-up and outlining the limitations of strictly in-person methods.

 This document was reaffirmed on October 21, 2020, and will be formally assessed by October 2025.

May 13, 2015—This document has three objectives: 1) to establish working criteria for the diagnosis of postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST), and vasovagal syncope (VVS); 2) to provide guidance and recommendations on their assessment and management; and to 3) identify key areas in which knowledge is lacking to highlight opportunities for future collaborative research efforts.

 This document was reaffirmed on November 18, 2020, and will be formally assessed by November 2025.

November 18, 2014—The Heart Rhythm Society convened a research symposium on December 9–10, 2013, in Washington, DC, that focused on the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) as well as AF-related stroke and morbidity. Attendees sought to summarize advances in understanding AF since a 2008 National Institutes of Health (NIH) conference on this topic and to identify continued knowledge gaps and current research priorities. This resultant white paper was developed in collaboration with and endorsed by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) and the Canadian Heart Rhythm Society (CHRS). It summarizes the deliberations of the attendees in an effort to accelerate progress toward preventing AF and its consequences.

September 29, 2014—This document is a report of the American College of Cardiology Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography, Heart Rhythm Society, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, and Society of Pediatric Echocardiography. The purpose is to establish and evaluate Appropriate Use Criteria for the initial use of outpatient pediatric echocardiography.

August 30, 2014—This international consensus statement is intended to provide clinical guidance for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias. It summarizes the consensus of the international writing group members and is based on a systematic review of the medical literature regarding ventricular arrhythmias.

 See also 2019 HRS/EHRA/APHRS/LAHRS Expert Consensus Statement on Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias.

The Heart Rhythm Society endorsed the document in June 2014.

August 26, 2014—This document on the management of antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome and/or undergoing percutaneous coronary or valve interventions is a joint consensus document of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Thrombosis, the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), and the European Association of Acute Cardiac Care (ACCA).

 See 2018 EHRA/ESC WGT/EAPCI/ACCA Joint European Consensus Document on the Management of Antithrombotic Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Presenting with Acute Coronary Syndrome and/or Undergoing Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions.

May 9, 2014—The purpose of this expert consensus statement is to provide clinicians with guidance on the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in the management of some common populations of patients who are not represented in clinical trials and who therefore are not specifically included in the various guidelines that provide indications for ICD therapy. However, recommendations made in this document cannot account for all the nuances of clinical medicine and cannot replace careful clinical judgment for the care of an individual patient. 

 This document was reaffirmed on October 21, 2020, and will be formally assessed by October 2025.

May 9, 2014—This international expert consensus statement was written by experts in the field who were chosen by the Heart Rhythm Society in collaboration with representatives from the American College of Cardiology, American College of Chest Physicians, American Heart Association, Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society, European Hear Rhythm Association, and World Association for Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG).