Electrophysiologic Testing

Abstract

There are a wide variety of clinical scenarios in which electrophysiology studies (EPS) may be useful, as a way to diagnose symptoms such as palpitations or syncope, to define mechanisms and possibly treat a documented arrhythmia, or to aid in determining a patient’s risk for sudden cardiac death from ventricular arrhythmias. Furthermore, EPS may be used to assess known or suspected conduction abnormalities. Most EPS are performed via electrode catheters in the heart, but some are performed with non-invasive programmed stimulation (NIPS) that refers to a limited electrophysiology study performed via an implanted cardiac device, either a pacemaker or a defibrillator.