20th Annual Controversies in Cardiac Arrhythmias

COURSE DESCRIPTION
New developments and advances in the understanding of complex arrhythmias afford benefits to patients who suffer from these conditions. Novel analytical approaches and important clinical trials challenge the practicing physician to implement translation of those discoveries into his clinical practice. The gaps that form between new knowledge and changing paradigms in the practice of medicine can only be filled with effective dissemination of the emerging information. This program is designed to provide clinicians with a comprehensive and practical approach to the diagnosis and management of cardiac arrhythmias. Its goal is to provide a forum in which practicing cardiologists are presented with new information in a way that is conducive to medical education by stimulating effective interaction between experts in this area and the audience.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Review evidence-based clinical studies to allow the clinician to better identify optimal candidates for implantable defibrillator therapy.

• Identify clinical attributes most predictive in identifying the best candidates with atrial fibrillation for catheter ablation therapy

• Review “CHADS2” scoring system in identifying patients at highest risk of thromboembolic stroke and consequent need for chronic anticoagulation

• Incorporate evidence-based clinical studies defining the role of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with CHF

TARGET AUDIENCE
This program is designed for cardiologists, internists, primary care physicians and other health care professionals with a special interest in the evaluation, diagnosis and management of patients with cardiac arrhythmias.

CME ACCREDITATION
Washington Hospital Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CREDIT DESIGNATION
Washington Hospital Center designates this educational activity for a maximum of 7.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ANY COMMERCIAL INTEREST
As a sponsor accredited by the ACCME, it is the policy of Washington Hospital Center to require that everyone who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest prior to the educational activity.

The ACCME considers relationships of the person involved in the CME activity to include financial relationships of a spouse or partner.

Faculty and planners who refuse to disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from participating in the CME activity. For an individual with no relevant financial relationship(s), the participants must be informed that no conflicts of interest or financial relationship(s) exist.

SPECIAL ASSISTANCE
Washington Hospital Center wishes to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated or otherwise treated differently from other individuals because of the absence of auxiliary aids or services identified in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact 202-877-3200 to notify us of your needs.

COURSE DIRECTOR
Edward V. Platia, MD
Director, Cardiac Arrhythmia Center
Washington Hospital Center
Professor of Medicine
Georgetown University
School of Medicine
George Washington University
School of Medicine
Washington, DC

FACULTY
Zayd A. Eldadah, MD, PhD
Director, Arrhythmia Research,
Cardiac Arrhythmia Center
Washington Hospital Center
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Washington, DC

Susan O’Donoghue, MD
Director, EP Fellowship
Associate Director, Cardiac Arrhythmia Center
Washington Hospital Center
Washington, DC

George Ruiz, MD
Advanced Cardiac Support/Pulmonary Hypertension Unit
Washington Hospital Center
Washington, DC

Michael O. Sweeney, MD
Director, Cardiac Pacing and Implantable Device Therapies
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA

Manish H. Shah, MD
Associate Director, Cardiac Arrhythmia Research
Washington Hospital Center
Washington, DC

Melvin Scheinman, MD
Shorenstein Chair, Department of Cardiology
Professor of Medicine
University of California San Francisco Medical Center
San Francisco, CA