ArticleEuropace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology2025
Ablation characteristics associated with steam pops in ablation index-guided radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation.
Article in Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- First in-human results of the MAGiC robotic magnetic navigation radiofrequency ablation catheter.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026Article
- Safety and lesion characteristics of temperature-flow control vs power control modes in radiofrequency ablation: An in vivo study in swine.Heart rhythm O2 · 2026Article
- Thermal Injury Leading to Myocardial Perforation During Cavotricuspid Isthmus Ablation: A Case Report.The American journal of case reports · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
31 authors.
Funding
Abstract
aimsSteam pops present a significant concern during radiofrequency (RF) ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). It is crucial to analyse the incidence and ablation characteristics associated with steam pops. This study aims to investigate the occurrence and potential predictors of steam pops. METHODS AND
resultsThis study included 3263 patients with AF who underwent RF ablation. Patients with paroxysmal AF received bilateral circumferential pulmonary vein (PV) ablation, while those with persistent AF underwent additional linear ablation. The ablation parameters at the sites of steam pops were compared to those at adjacent anatomical locations. A total of 81 steam pops (2.5%) with one pericardial tamponade were recorded. Steam pops were observed at liner ablation sites: 6 (0.4%) at the mitral isthmus, 16 (0.9%) at the tricuspid isthmus (CTI), and 7 (0.5%) along the roofline. The most common sites of steam pops were the anterior edge of the left superior PV and the inferior vena cava side of the CTI. The impedance drop was significantly higher (18.2 ± 9.5 Ω vs. 13.5 ± 4.8 Ω, P < 0.001) at steam pop sites. The optimal cut-off points of impedance drop for predicting steam pops were > 9.5 Ω within the first 3 s, > 10.5 Ω within the first 5 s, > 13.5 Ω within the first 10 s, and > 18.5 Ω in the whole ablation, respectively.
conclusionThe incidence of steam pops during ablation of AF is infrequent. Impedance drop is the only ablation parameter that could predict the occurrence of steam pops.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.