UNLABELLED: 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.
UNLABELLED: 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.
Authors: Nathan D Hahurij; Adriana C Gittenberger-De Groot; Denise P Kolditz; Regina Bökenkamp; Martin J Schalij; Robert E Poelmann; Nico A Blom Journal: Circulation Date: 2008-05-27 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: Andrew E Epstein; John P DiMarco; Kenneth A Ellenbogen; N A Mark Estes; Roger A Freedman; Leonard S Gettes; A Marc Gillinov; Gabriel Gregoratos; Stephen C Hammill; David L Hayes; Mark A Hlatky; L Kristin Newby; Richard L Page; Mark H Schoenfeld; Michael J Silka; Lynne Warner Stevenson; Michael O Sweeney; Sidney C Smith; Alice K Jacobs; Cynthia D Adams; Jeffrey L Anderson; Christopher E Buller; Mark A Creager; Steven M Ettinger; David P Faxon; Jonathan L Halperin; Loren F Hiratzka; Sharon A Hunt; Harlan M Krumholz; Frederick G Kushner; Bruce W Lytle; Rick A Nishimura; Joseph P Ornato; Richard L Page; Barbara Riegel; Lynn G Tarkington; Clyde W Yancy Journal: Circulation Date: 2008-05-15 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: Kathryn K Collins; George F Van Hare; Naomi J Kertesz; Ian H Law; Yaniv Bar-Cohen; Anne M Dubin; Susan P Etheridge; Charles I Berul; Jennifer N Avari; Volkan Tuzcu; Narayanswami Sreeram; Michael S Schaffer; Anne Fournier; Shubhayan Sanatani; Christopher S Snyder; Richard T Smith; Luis Arabia; Robert Hamilton; Terrence Chun; Leonardo Liberman; Bahram Kakavand; Thomas Paul; Ronn E Tanel Journal: J Am Coll Cardiol Date: 2009-02-24 Impact factor: 24.094