ACCREDITATION AND CREDITS

EXCEL Continuing Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

EXCEL Continuing Education designates this educational activity for a maximum of four AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this activity, the participant should be able to:

-Discuss the incidence and high-risk characteristics associated with atrial fibrillation.
-Compare the efficacy of surgical ablation therapy versus catheter ablation therapy in the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
-List differing pharmacological strategies for managing atrial fibrillation including use of drugs and/or pacemakers to control the ventricular response during AF vs. use of drugs to convert and/or maintain normal sinus rhythm (NSR).
-Compare and contrast both classic and contemporary approaches to diagnosis and management of cardiac arrhythmias.
-Discuss the implementation of new developments in the management of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias.
-Identify the role of ICD therapy in inschemic and non-ischemic CHF patients with LV dysfunction.
-Evaluate the role of device therapy in cardiac patients.
-Examine new technologies for integrating optimal medical therapy with device therapy in the treatment of heart failure.
-Identify the current indications for cardiac resynchronization therapy.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of cardiologists, surgeons, primary care physicians and other healthcare providers interested in acquiring additional knowledge concerning cardiac disorders.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS