The goal of catheter ablation and surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation is to disconnect triggers and/or to modify the substrate for AF. Mapping and radiofrequency (RF) ablation of AF is one of the most complex ablation procedures.
Erythropoietin is produced in the kidney and liver in response to low oxygen levels. In addition, erythropoietin is bound by circulating red blood cells; low circulating numbers lead to a relatively high level of unbound erythropoietin, which stimulates production in the bone marrow.
This test measures the amount of erythropoietin in the blood. Erythropoietin is a hormone produced primarily by the kidneys. It is produced and released into the bloodstream in response to low blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia). Erythropoietin is carried to the bone marrow, where it works to stimulate precursor cells to become red blood cells (RBCs). RBCs contain hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body.