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First Patient Recruited Globally into Cardiology Study at South Tees

The Cardiology Research team at the James Cook University Hospital has become the first site globally to recruit into a new registry study which hopes to lead to better outcomes for complex arrhythmia ablations.

Sponsored by Acutus Medical, the ‘AcQMap® Global Registry of Procedural and Long-term Clinical Outcomes (AcQMap Registry)’ will allow doctors to learn more about the performance of the AcQMap System, which uses real-time cardio mapping technology.

Dr Simon James, Consultant Cardiologist at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough is leading the study.

Dr James said: "This is a reflection of all the hard work from the Cardiology Research team that we performed the first case worldwide.

"It's a fascinating study and could potentially change the future of management of complex heart rhythm problems."

James Cook Hospital was the first site, out the 50 taking part, to recruit a patient back in June and has since recruited another, on their aim to reach their target of 20. The study team recruited the patient just a day after the site became active, on June 26th 2019.

"We were extremely proud to be asked to participate in this study, and equally proud to recruit its first patient globally in June," explained Deborah Athorne, Cardiac Research Nurse at James Cook University Hospital.

Patients are asked to take part in the Registry Study if they have been recommended and scheduled for an ablation procedure to treat a complex arrhythmia, after other treatment options have been discussed with a doctor. These other treatments can include medicines, electrical shocks, or an ablation.

Arrhythmias are caused by rapid impulses of electricity that come from the chambers of the heart and cause it to beat in a way that is not normal. An ablation stops the electrical impulses passing through the muscle and terminating the unwanted heart arrhythmia, with heat or extreme cooling.

During the study ablation, this system will allow the doctor to “map” the exact places the impulses come from in order to better target the best places for the ablation. This diagnostic method of “mapping” will not change the other devices (also called catheters) the doctor would use for the procedure.

The patient does not require any additional visits or treatments than they normally would if they decided not to participate in the Registry Study. The only parts of the study which aren't part of routine medical care are two telephone calls at 24 and 36 months after the ablation to collect more information about complex arrhythmias.

The AcQMap System has been approved for use in the Europe Union (EU) since May 2016 and in the United States (US) since October 2018.