<s>
Cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
branch	O
of	O
cardiology	O
and	O
basic	O
science	O
focusing	O
on	O
the	O
electrical	O
activities	O
of	O
the	O
heart	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
is	O
usually	O
used	O
in	O
clinical	O
context	O
,	O
to	O
describe	O
studies	O
of	O
such	O
phenomena	O
by	O
invasive	O
(	O
intracardiac	O
)	O
catheter	O
recording	O
of	O
spontaneous	O
activity	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
of	O
cardiac	O
responses	O
to	O
programmed	B-Algorithm
electrical	I-Algorithm
stimulation	I-Algorithm
-	O
clinical	B-Algorithm
cardiac	I-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
also	O
encompasses	O
basic	O
research	O
and	O
translational	O
research	O
components	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Specialists	O
studying	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
,	O
either	O
clinically	O
or	O
solely	O
through	O
research	O
,	O
are	O
known	O
as	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiologists	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electrophysiological	B-Application
(	O
EP	O
)	O
studies	O
are	O
performed	O
to	O
assess	O
complex	O
arrhythmias	B-Application
,	O
elucidate	O
symptoms	O
,	O
evaluate	O
abnormal	O
electrocardiograms	B-Application
,	O
assess	O
risk	O
of	O
developing	O
arrhythmias	B-Application
in	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
and	O
design	O
treatment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
therapeutic	O
modalities	O
used	O
in	O
this	O
field	O
include	O
antiarrhythmic	B-Algorithm
drug	I-Algorithm
therapy	O
and	O
implantation	O
of	O
pacemakers	B-Device
,	O
implantable	O
cardioverter-defibrillators	O
and	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
resynchronisation	I-Algorithm
therapy	I-Algorithm
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
(	O
EP	O
)	O
study	O
typically	O
measures	O
the	O
response	O
of	O
myocardium	O
to	O
programmed	B-Algorithm
electrical	I-Algorithm
stimulation	I-Algorithm
(	O
PES	O
)	O
on	O
specific	O
pharmacological	O
regimens	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
assess	O
the	O
likelihood	O
that	O
the	O
regimen	O
will	O
successfully	O
prevent	O
potentially	O
fatal	O
sustained	B-Application
ventricular	I-Application
tachycardia	I-Application
(	O
VT	O
)	O
or	O
ventricular	O
fibrillation	O
VF	O
(	O
VF	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sometimes	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
EP	B-Algorithm
study	I-Algorithm
drug	O
trials	O
must	O
be	O
conducted	O
to	O
enable	O
the	O
cardiologist	O
to	O
select	O
the	O
one	O
regimen	O
for	O
long-term	O
treatment	O
that	O
best	O
prevents	O
or	O
slows	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
VT	O
or	O
VF	O
following	O
PES	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
studies	O
may	O
also	O
be	O
conducted	O
in	O
the	O
presence	O
of	O
a	O
newly	O
implanted	O
or	O
newly	O
replaced	O
cardiac	O
pacemaker	B-Device
or	O
ICD	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
specialist	O
in	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
is	O
known	O
as	O
an	O
electrophysiologist	B-Application
,	O
or	O
"	O
heart	O
electrician	O
"	O
in	O
layman	O
 '	O
terms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
subspecialty	O
of	O
cardiology	O
in	O
most	O
countries	O
and	O
usually	O
requires	O
two	O
or	O
more	O
years	O
of	O
EP	O
fellowship	O
training	O
after	O
a	O
general	O
cardiology	O
residency	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
early	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
Centers	O
for	O
Medicare	O
and	O
Medicaid	O
Services	O
promoted	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
to	O
its	O
own	O
specialty	O
category	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiologists	I-Algorithm
are	O
trained	O
to	O
perform	O
interventional	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
studies	O
and	O
cardiac	B-Application
rhythm	I-Application
management	I-Application
device	O
implantations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiologists	I-Algorithm
specialize	O
in	O
a	O
sub-area	O
of	O
electrophysiology	B-Application
,	O
which	O
in	O
turn	O
is	O
a	O
sub-area	O
of	O
physiology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
flagship	O
tools	O
used	O
by	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiologists	I-Algorithm
overlap	O
with	O
the	O
toolbox	O
of	O
the	O
neuroscientist	O
including	O
patch	O
clamp	O
and	O
optical	O
mapping	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mapping	O
specialists	O
(	O
EP	O
techs	O
,	O
EP	O
physiologists	O
)	O
are	O
typically	O
educated	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
Bachelor	O
's	O
or	O
Master	O
's	O
level	O
and	O
are	O
employed	O
by	O
either	O
a	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
company	O
or	O
department	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Often	O
international	O
certification	O
such	O
as	O
Certified	O
Electrophysiology	B-Application
Specialist	O
(	O
CEPS	O
)	O
by	O
the	O
International	O
Board	O
of	O
Heart	B-Algorithm
Rhythm	I-Algorithm
Examiners	O
(	O
IBHRE	O
)	O
or	O
EHRA	O
Certified	O
Electrophysiology	B-Application
Specialist	O
(	O
ECES	O
)	O
or	O
equivalent	O
is	O
required	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
relatively	O
young	O
subdiscipline	O
of	O
cardiology	O
and	O
internal	O
medicine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
recent	O
published	O
edition	O
of	O
Clinical	B-Algorithm
Cardiac	I-Algorithm
Electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
:	O
Techniques	O
and	O
Interpretations	O
is	O
the	O
6th	O
edition	O
in	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Heart	B-Algorithm
Rhythm	I-Algorithm
Society	O
,	O
founded	O
in	O
1979	O
,	O
promotes	O
education	O
and	O
advocacy	O
for	O
cardiac	B-Application
arrhythmia	I-Application
professionals	O
(	O
including	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiologists	I-Algorithm
)	O
and	O
patients	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
European	O
Heart	B-Algorithm
Rhythm	I-Algorithm
Association	O
,	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
European	O
Society	O
of	O
Cardiology	O
,	O
is	O
active	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Founded	O
in	O
1985	O
as	O
NASPExAM	O
,	O
the	O
International	O
Board	O
of	O
Heart	B-Algorithm
Rhythm	I-Algorithm
Examiners	O
(	O
IBHRE	O
)	O
offers	O
knowledge	O
based	O
board	O
exams	O
for	O
physicians	O
and	O
allied	O
health	O
professionals	O
working	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
and	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
rhythm	I-Algorithm
device	O
management	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
European	O
Heart	B-Algorithm
Rhythm	I-Algorithm
Association	O
(	O
EHRA	O
)	O
provides	O
knowledge	O
and	O
practical	O
competency	O
based	O
certification	O
to	O
physicians	O
and	O
allied	O
health	O
professionals	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
accreditation	O
of	O
cardiac	B-Algorithm
electrophysiology	I-Algorithm
training	O
centres	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
neighbouring	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
