Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia in humans. An incredible worldwide effort from physicians, scientists and industry over the last decade has brought forth new insights and therapeutic tools. We are fortunate to have achieved a level of understanding about this complex disease that we can indeed cure some patients. While we proceed at full speed ahead looking for cures for the rest, we have taken this opportunity in the Medical Clinics of North America to reflect on how much we have learned and on the task that lies ahead. This issue opens with a historical...

In the United States, 50-60 individuals suffer a cardiac arrest each hour, amounting to approximately 250,000 deaths every year. In the first five minutes of a cardiac arrest, ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation are the most frequent cardiac arrhythmias encountered. Despite emergency medical response systems, the long-term survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remains poor in most US cities. Paramount to achieving successful resuscitation of a cardiac arrest victim is providing early defibrillation. This issue of "Cardiac Electrophysiology Clinics" covers a full...

Cardiac electrophysiologists face many challenging situations in which there is no clear-cut answer about the best way to handle a particular clinical problem. This issue brings together articles on many such situations, presents arguments on both sides, and lets the reader conclude which is the best way to manage a particular patient.? Among the controversial and debatable topics included are how to handle device recalls, optimal timing for assessment of ICD efficacy, extraction o f broken leads, and anticoagulation therapy in device patients.