Evaluation of the child with an arrhythmia

Syncope and Palpitations: A Review

Syncope and palpitations are common complaints for patients presenting to their primary care provider. They represent symptoms that most often have a benign etiology but rarely can be the first warning sign of a serious condition, such as arrhythmias, structural heart disease, or noncardiac disease. The history, physical examination, and noninvasive testing can, in most cases, distinguish benign from pathologic causes. This article introduces syncope and palpitations, with emphasis on the differential diagnoses, initial presentation, diagnostic strategy, and various management strategies.

Perinatal arrhythmias

Cardiac arrhythmias are very frequent in fetuses and newborns. The prognosis depends on the nature of the arrhythmias but is most often either spontaneously benign or following short-term medication administration. A correct diagnosis is essential for both management and prognosis. It is based on echocardiography during the fetal period and mainly on history, physical exam, and electrocardiogram after birth, but other modalities are available to record transient arrhythmic events. Irregular rhythms are mostly benign and rarely require therapy. In most fetuses and infants, tachyarrhythmias resolve spontaneously or require short-term administration of antiarrhythmics. Approximately one third of these may recur later on, especially during adolescence. Persistent bradyarrhythmias might require pacemaker implantation when associated with failure to thrive or with risk of sudden death.

CONCLUSION

Arrhythmias in fetuses and infants are very common and mostly benign. History, physical exam, and recording of the arrhythmia are essential to make a correct diagnosis and establish an appropriate management for the rare potentially harmful arrhythmias.

Amiodarone for the emergency care of children

Amiodarone is a class 3 antiarrhythmic agent used for a broad range of arrhythmias including adenosine-resistant supraventricular tachycardia, junctional ectopic tachycardia, and ventricular tachycardia. Compared with adults, there are few data on its use in children with arrhythmias resistant to conventional therapy. National and international guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care recommend its use for a variety of arrhythmias based on case reports, cohort studies, and extrapolation from adult data. This article will review the historical development, chemical properties, metabolism, indications and contraindications, and adverse effects of amiodarone in infants and children. After completing this CME activity, the reader should be able to utilize amiodarone in the pediatric population for arrhythmias and identify complications associated with its use.