| 1 | DVBCWAM1 ;ALB/JFP ARRHYTHMIAS WKS TEXT - 1 ; 11 FEB 1997
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| 2 |  ;;2.7;AMIE;**16**;Apr 10, 1995
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| 3 |  ;
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| 4 |  ;
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| 5 | TXT ;
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| 6 |  ;;A.  Review of Medical Records:
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| 7 |  ;;
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| 8 |  ;;B.  Medical History (Subjective Complaints):
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| 9 |  ;;
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| 10 |  ;;    1.  Type of arrhythmia, onset of disorder, frequency and
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| 11 |  ;;        duration of attacks.  Attacks confirmed by EKG or Holter
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| 12 |  ;;        monitor?.
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| 13 |  ;;    2.  Pacemaker present?  If so, when was it inserted,
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| 14 |  ;;        effectiveness, side effects?
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| 15 |  ;;    3.  Other treatment?  If so, type, effectiveness, side effects?
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| 16 |  ;;    4.  For sustained ventricular arrhythmias, atrioventricular
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| 17 |  ;;        block, and implantable cardiac pacemakers (if ventricular
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| 18 |  ;;        arrhythmia or atrioventricular block was the reason for the
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| 19 |  ;;        pacemaker), the examiner must provide the METs level,
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| 20 |  ;;        determined by exercise testing, at which symptoms of dyspnea, 
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| 21 |  ;;        fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope result.
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| 22 |  ;;    5.  Exercise testing is not required for the above listed
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| 23 |  ;;        conditions in the following circumstances:
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| 24 |  ;;        a.  If exercise testing is medically contraindicated:
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| 25 |  ;;            1)  In that case, provide the medical reason exercise
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| 26 |  ;;                testing cannot be conducted, and
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| 27 |  ;;            2)  Provide an estimate of the level of activity
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| 28 |  ;;                (expressed in METs and supported by specific
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| 29 |  ;;                examples, such as slow stair climbing, or
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| 30 |  ;;                shoveling snow) that results in dyspnea, fatigue,
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| 31 |  ;;                angina, dizziness, or syncope.
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| 32 |  ;;        b.  For sustained ventricular arrhythmia-from date of
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| 33 |  ;;            hospital admission for initial evaluation and medical
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| 34 |  ;;            therapy for a sustained ventricular arrhythmia or for
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| 35 |  ;;            ventricular aneurysmectomy, and for six months
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| 36 |  ;;            following discharge.
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| 37 |  ;;        c.  With an automatic implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator
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| 38 |  ;;            (AICD) in place.
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| 39 |  ;;        d.  For two months following hospital admission for
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| 40 |  ;;            implantation or reimplantation of an implantable
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| 41 |  ;;            cardiac pacemaker.
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| 42 |  ;;        e.  If an exercise test has been done within the past year,
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| 43 |  ;;            the results are of record, and there is no indication
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| 44 |  ;;            that there has been a change in the cardiac status of
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| 45 |  ;;            the veteran since.
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| 46 |  ;;    6.   For implantable cardiac pacemakers - if supraventricular
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| 47 |  ;;         arrhythmia was the reason for the pacemaker - describe any
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| 48 |  ;;         attacks of atrial fibrillation or other symptoms.
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| 49 |  ;;    7.   Describe the effects of the condition on the veteran's
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| 50 |  ;;         usual occupation and daily activities.
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| 51 |  ;;
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| 52 |  ;;C.  Physical Examination (Objective Findings):
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| 53 |  ;;
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| 54 |  ;;    Address each of the following and fully describe current findings:
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| 55 |  ;;    1.  Heart size and method of determination, heart rate and
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| 56 |  ;;        rhythm, blood pressure.
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| 57 |  ;;    2.  Status of cardiac function - evidence of congestive heart
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| 58 |  ;;        failure.
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| 59 |  ;;    3.  Cardiac arrhythmia - type.  Confirmed by EKG or Holter
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| 60 |  ;;        monitor?
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| 61 |  ;;
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| 62 |  ;;D  Diagnostic and Clinical Tests:
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| 63 |  ;;  
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| 64 |  ;;   1.  EKG.
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| 65 |  ;;   2.  Holter monitor, other tests as indicated.
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| 66 |  ;;   3.  Chest X-ray, exercise stress test, echocardiogram, Holter
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| 67 |  ;;       monitor, thallium study, angiography, etc., as appropriate,
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| 68 |  ;;       and as required or indicated.
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| 69 |  ;;   4.  Include results of all diagnostic and clinical tests
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| 70 |  ;;       conducted in the examination report, including status of
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| 71 |  ;;       left ventricular function, if measured.
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| 72 |  ;;
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| 73 |  ;;E.  Diagnosis:
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| 74 |  ;;  
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| 75 |  ;;
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| 76 |  ;;
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| 77 |  ;;Signature:                                        Date:
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| 78 |  ;;END
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