title: Does diffuse irrigation result in improved radiofrequency catheter ablation? A prospective randomized study of right atrial typical flutter ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent developments of open irrigated catheters have sought to create uniform cooling of the entire ablating electrode. The aim of this randomized study was to assess whether the diffuse irrigation of the Coolflex(®) (CF) catheter results in improved short-term procedural benefits in patients undergoing ablation of right atrial typical flutter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty consecutive patients (age 62 ± 13) with typical atrial flutter were prospectively randomized to ablation of the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) using either a standard 3.5 mm tip ablation catheter with six distal irrigation channels (6C) (30 patients) or a 4 mm tip fully irrigated ablation catheter (CF) (30 patients). There were no significant differences seen between procedures performed with the diffusely irrigated CF catheter and the standard six-channel irrigated-tip catheter. This concerned the total procedural duration RF duration, fluoroscopic duration, the total amount of irrigation fluid, and the occurrence of steam pop.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of a diffuse irrigation at the ablation catheter tip does neither facilitate lesion formation nor reduce the amount of irrigation during RF ablation for typical right atrial flutter using recommended flow and power settings.
authors.affiliation: Brugmann University Hospital and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramoul
authors.affiliation: Kings College London BHF Centre, Cardiovascular Division, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Brugmann University Hospital and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Manav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sohal
authors.affiliation: Brugmann University Hospital and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Brugmann University Hospital and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castro-Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Brugmann University Hospital and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Verbeet
authors.affiliation: Brugmann University Hospital and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium sebastien.knecht@chu-brugmann.be.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knecht
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000601:surgery*; D062906:Cardiac Catheters; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods
keywords: Catheter ablation; Flutter; Open irrigation; Radiofrequency