Accredited learning for cardiologists

The European Board for Accreditation in Cardiology EBAC Accreditation Educational Programme Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities. CME is important to keep physicians up to speed in the ever-changing world of invasive and non-invasive cardiac techniques.  The EBAC accreditation Educational Programme confirms the scientific & educational quality of a programme, and allows the participants to receive CME credits for the time spent in the educational activity. EBAC accreditations Educational Programmes have robust criteria and clear procedures for accreditation of international CME/CPD activities in cardiovascular medicine. The accredited CME activity distinguishes itself from other educational activities proposed to the medical audience by the fact that its quality has been confirmed by a Board of specialists widely recognized in the field of cardiology.

Health care professionals are constantly learning about innovations in cardiology including AF by attending a number of annual cardiology conferences such as the European Society of Cardiology Esc 2014 conference Taking place in Barcelona Spain from the 30th August to the 3rd September, Esc 2014 conferenceis the world?s largest and most influential cardiovascular event contributing to global awareness of the latest clinical trials and breakthrough discoveries.

Amongst a multitude of presentations and talks, this year?s Congress will host a symposium supported by Biosense Webster which takes a look at The 2012 Esc Guidelines in Barcelona Spain, a standalone publication which provides new recommendations which have the potential to change clinical practice. An update to the 2010 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation, the 2012 Esc Guidelines in Barcelona Spain take into account results of a number of clinical trials as well as increased experience from the wider use of novel oral anticoagulants. Perhaps the most important changes are the recommendations for opportunistic screening, the role of NOACs as broadly preferred over VKAs for the prevention of stroke and the acceptance of catheter ablation of AF as first line therapy.

Keeping abreast of advances in AF

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, occurring in 1?2 % of the general population and is increasingly prevalent in older people, occuring in about 10 % of over 80 year olds.ÿThe arrhythmia is associated with a five-fold rise in stroke risk and frequently coexists with heart failure, both leading to a further increase in mortality. Atrial fibrillation causes early detection is of paramount importance, in order to define proper medical treatment.

AF occurs when abnormal electrical impulses suddenly start firing in theÿupper chambers of the heart. These impulses override the heart's natural pacemaker, which can no longer control the rhythm of the heart and this causes aÿhighly irregular pulse rate. Atrial fibrillation causes are not fully understood, but it tends to occur in certain groups of people. For example, atrial fibrillation includes high blood pressure and heart valve disease. It also occurs in more men than women and older people. It can also be triggered by certain situations, such as drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or smoking.

Health care professionals are constantly learning about innovations in cardiology including AF by attending a number of annual cardiology conferences such as the European Society of Cardiology ESC Congress 2014 in Barcelona Spain (30th August to the 2rd September). The world’s largest and most influential cardiovascular event, ESC Congress 2014 in Barcelona Spain will contribute to global awareness of the latest clinical trials and breakthrough discoveries. The aim of conference is to focus on innovations in science, clinical developments, implementation, education and in improving clinical practice. It will be a unique opportunity to bring together clinicians, scientists, epidemiologists, nurses, technicians, health care industry, care opinion leaders and policy makers.

How the ESC 2012 guidelines on AF change clinical practice

The 2012 ESC Guidelines is a standalone publication which provides new recommendations which have the potential to change clinical practice. An update to the 2010 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation, the 2012 ESC Guidelines take into account results of a number of clinical trials as well as increased experience from the wider use of novel oral anticoagulants. Perhaps the most important changes are the recommendations for opportunistic screening, the role of NOACs as broadly preferred over VKAs for the prevention of stroke and the acceptance of catheter ablation of AF as first line therapy.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. Left untreated atrial fibrillation is a significant risk factor for stroke and other morbidities. Atrial fibrillation management involves preventing complications, particularly stroke, and alleviating symptoms. Drug treatments used for atrial fibrillation management include anticoagulants to reduce the risk of stroke and antiarrhythmics to restore or maintain the normal heart rhythm or to slow the heart rate in people who remain in atrial fibrillation. Non‑pharmacological management includes electrical cardioversion, which may be used to 'shock' the heart back to its normal rhythm, and catheter or surgical ablation to create lesions to stop the abnormal electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation.

Current thinking about the management of AF will be on the agenda at the world’s largest cardiology meeting, ESC 2014 which takes place in Barcelona, Spain (30^th August to the 3^rd September). The aim of this cardiology meeting is to focus on innovations in science, clinical developments, implementation, education and in improving clinical practice. It will be a unique opportunity to bring together clinicians, scientists, epidemiologists, nurses, technicians, health care industry, care opinion leaders and policy makers.

Atrial fibrillation and ESC 2014

Atrial fibrillations (AF) and flutters are very common. They are the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, occurring in 1–2 % of the general population and is increasingly prevalent in older people, occurring in about 10 % of over 80 year olds. A normal heart rate should be between 60 and 100 beats a minute when you're resting, and is regular. In AF, the heart rate may be over 140 beats a minute, although it can be any speed. Anyone who thinks they can feel atrial fibrillations can check their pulse on either their neck or their wrist.

Health care professionals are constantly learning about innovations in cardiology including AF by attending a number of annual cardiology conferences such as the European Society of Cardiology ESC Congress 2014.Taking place in Barcelona Spain from the 30^thAugust to the 3^rd September, ESC Congress 2014  is the world’s largest and most influential cardiovascular event contributing to global awareness of the latest clinical trials and breakthrough discoveries.

Cardiology is evolving rapidly and it is critically important to keep up to date, not only in the areas of our special interests but also in what is happening elsewhere across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease. The ESC 2014 Conference captures innovations in scientific discovery, clinical practice, technology and in applications to clinical care and includes a number of education programmes. The aim of the ESC 2014 Conference is to focus on innovations in science, clinical developments, implementation, education and in improving clinical practice. It will be a unique opportunity to bring together clinicians, scientists, epidemiologists, nurses, technicians, health care industry, care opinion leaders and policy makers. In special daily sessions entitled: “Guidelines in Daily Practice”, delegates can also learn about recent guidelines, what they really mean and how to implement them.

Event Cardiology 2014 in Barcelona, Spain

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common forms of an abnormal heart rhythm, occurring in 1-2 % of the population. It’s also a major cause of stroke which is why it’s important to find out if patients have the condition because there is effective treatment to reduce the risk of stroke. People with AF have an irregular and sometimes fast pulse which can be checked just by feeling their pulse. Some people don’t realise they have atrial fibrillation (AF) only to discover it when they have a pulse check or an ECG which records t the electrical activity of the heart.

AF occurs when abnormal electrical impulses suddenly start firing in the upper chambers of the heart. These impulses override the heart's natural pacemaker, which can no longer control the rhythm of the heart and this causes a highly irregular pulse rate. Atrial fibrillation causes are not fully understood, but it tends to occur in certain groups of people. For example, atrial fibrillation causes include high blood pressure and heart valve disease. It also occurs in more men than women and older people. It can also be triggered by certain situations, such as drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or smoking.

Event cardiology 2014 take place globally, including the ESC Congress which takes place in Barcelona Spain from the 30^th August to the 3^rd September. The particular Event Cardiology 2014 is the world’s largest and most influential cardiovascular event contributing to global awareness of the latest clinical trials and breakthrough discoveries. The aim is to focus on innovations in science, clinical developments, implementation, education and in improving clinical practice. It will be a unique opportunity to bring together clinicians, scientists, epidemiologists, nurses, technicians, health care industry, care opinion leaders and policy makers.

Rhythm Management of the Atrial Fibrillation Patient

Atrial fibrillation(AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, occurring in 1–2 % of the general population and is increasingly prevalent in older people, occuring in about 10 % of over 80 year olds. It is strongly associated with stroke risk and a variety of cardiovascular conditions. The arrhythmia is associated with a five-fold rise in stroke risk and frequently coexists with heart failure, both leading to a further increase in mortality.Atrial fibrillation early detection is of paramount importance, in order to define proper medical treatment.

This can be challenging due to the often silent and intermittent nature of the rhythm disturbance in the atrial fibrillation patient. Long-term external ECG monitoring may be very helpful, but if less than fully continuous and of long duration it will be not reliable. For this reason continuous monitoring of the atrial fibrillation patient is of increased importance, and outcome measurements of AF treatment trials will be based on the AF burden detected by insertable cardiac monitors (ICM) or therapeutic devices such as pacemakers or ICDs, leading to the paradigm that the detection of AF in the presence of thromboembolic risk factors should be performed wherever possible in order to improve patients’ chances.

Rhythm Management of the Atrial Fibrillation Patient will be the subject of a symposium for Biosensewebster-ESC2014 in Barcelona this September. Delegates hear about real world scenarios, including identifying best patient selection for catheter ablation. It also aims to foster a “shared care” approach between the electrophysiologist and cardiologist. Interested parties can register by visiting: biosensewebster-ESC2014. The first session will be moderated by Professor Karl-Heinz Kuck. German cardiologist and scientist, Professor Kuck is head of the Department of Cardiology at the Asklepios Klinik St. Georg in Hamburg and expert on the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

Ebac Accreditation Educational Programme

Continuing medical education(CME) is a requirement for healthcare practitioners to help them maintain competence and learn about new and developing areas of their field. The European Board for Accreditation in Cardiology (EBAC) accredits international CME activities (Events, CD ROM, Web CME, CME articles) in cardiology in Europe. During the last decade EBAC has established robust criteria and clear procedures for accreditation of international CME/CPD activities in cardiovascular medicine. Ebac Accreditation Educational Programme means the scientific content of a CME activity was reviewed and approved by an independent board of european experts in cardiology and that the CME provider has fulfilled the EBAC quality requirements. Ebac Accreditation Educational Programme also means that the programme has been developed for an international audience, its scientific content is of high quality, it complies with the EACCME Guidelines on CME, and is free of commercial bias.

ESC Congress 2014 is accredited by the EBAC and by the European Accreditation Council in CME (EACCME) for 25 hours of external CME Credits. Attendees at this year’s congress have the opportunity of going to a symposium on Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and rhythm management which will take a look at the practical implementation of the 2012 ESC Guidelines. Rhythm management and the consequences of abnormal rhythm will be discussed in this session.

This session will be supported by Biosensewebster-ESC2014 and will take a look at real world scenarios, including identifying best patient selection for catheter ablation. It also aims to foster a “shared care” approach between the electrophysiologist and cardiologist. Interested parties can register by visiting: biosensewebster-ESC2014 page.

This year's congress captures innovations in scientific discovery, clinical practice, technology and in applications to clinical care and includes a number of education programmes. Cardiology is evolving rapidly and it is critically important to keep up to date, not only in the areas of our special interests but also in what is happening elsewhere across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease. The educational programmes included at the congress will help clinicians keep up to date about changes in the field.