Assessment of Admission Hemoglobin Levels and Gender Differences in Transvenous Radiofrequency Ablation Therapy for the Treatment of the Slow Pathway of Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia

Introduction: Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia is the most common regular supraventricular arrhythmia in humans. This study investigated the admission hemoglobin levels and gender differences in transvenous radiofrequency ablation therapy for the treatment of the slow pathway of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia. Patients and Methods: Nineteen consecutive patients with symptomatic drug-resistant typical slow-fast atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia underwent an invasive electrophysiology study and performed radiofrequency ablation of slow conduction pathway within atrioventricular node. Blood samples were taken between 08.30 and 09.30 a.m. from the antecubital vein for complete blood count. Results: Nineteen consecutive patients with slow-fast atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (12 female, 7 male) were ablated. Mean admission hemoglobin and hematocrit (%) levels were significantly increased in male patients as compared with female patients (15.38 ± 1.21 mg/dL, 12.72 ± 1.36 mg/dL, p < 0.001; 45.41 ± 3.26, 37.90 ± 2.88, p < 0.001 respectively). There was not gender differences in the radiation exposure time, fluoroscopy time, complication rate (0%) and acute success rate (100%). Conclusion: There was not gender differences in the radiation exposure time, fluoroscopy time, complication rate and acute success rate at the transvenous radiofrequency ablation therapy for the treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia. Mean admission hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were significantly decreased in female patients as compared with male patients.