Taylor Cunningham1, Thomas M Roston2, Sonia Franciosi1, Michelle Chang Liu1, Joseph Atallah3, Carolina A Escudero3, Sharmila Udupa4, Jason D Roberts5, Santokh Dhillon6, Frédéric Dallaire7, Anne Fournier8, Meena Fatah9, Robert Hamilton9, Shubhayan Sanatani10. 1. Children's Heart Centre, Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 2. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 3. Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 4. Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 5. Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. 6. Division of Cardiology, IWK Heart Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 7. Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke and University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. 8. Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Mere-Enfant Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 9. The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 10. Children's Heart Centre, Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Electronic address: ssanatani@cw.bc.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Unexplained cardiac arrest (UCA) is rare in children. Despite investigations, the etiology in up to one-half of patients remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the management and outcomes of pediatric UCA survivors through the Canadian Pediatric Heart Rhythm Network. METHODS: A retrospective case series of children (age 1-19 years) who presented with UCA between January 1, 2004, and November 1, 2017, was conducted. Patients with known heart disease pre-UCA were excluded. UCA details, investigations, genetic test results, treatment, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) data, subsequent diagnoses, and family screening data were collected. RESULTS: Forty-six patients (61% male) were survivors of sudden unexpected death and met inclusion criteria at 8 participating sites. Median age at UCA was 13.8 years (interquartile range [IQR] 9-16 years). Baseline retrievable investigations included electrocardiogram (96%), echocardiogram (85%), exercise stress test (73%), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (57%). The presumed etiology for the UCA was identified in 24 (52%), mainly long QT syndrome or catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Genetic testing was performed in 33 of 46 (72%), with pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants identified in 13 of 33 (39%) and variants of uncertain significance in 8 of 33 (24%). ICDs were implanted in 35 of 46 (76%). Over median follow-up of 36 months (IQR 17-57 months), 8 of 35 had arrhythmia events captured on device interrogation. Families of 26 of 46 patients(57%) underwent screening, leading to a cardiac diagnosis in 6 of 26 families. CONCLUSION: A cause for UCA was not identified in nearly 50% of patients despite extensive investigations, including cascade screening. A large proportion (75%) of ICD shocks occurred in patients without a diagnosis.
BACKGROUND: Unexplained cardiac arrest (UCA) is rare in children. Despite investigations, the etiology in up to one-half of patients remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the management and outcomes of pediatric UCA survivors through the Canadian Pediatric Heart Rhythm Network. METHODS: A retrospective case series of children (age 1-19 years) who presented with UCA between January 1, 2004, and November 1, 2017, was conducted. Patients with known heart disease pre-UCA were excluded. UCA details, investigations, genetic test results, treatment, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) data, subsequent diagnoses, and family screening data were collected. RESULTS: Forty-six patients (61% male) were survivors of sudden unexpected death and met inclusion criteria at 8 participating sites. Median age at UCA was 13.8 years (interquartile range [IQR] 9-16 years). Baseline retrievable investigations included electrocardiogram (96%), echocardiogram (85%), exercise stress test (73%), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (57%). The presumed etiology for the UCA was identified in 24 (52%), mainly long QT syndrome or catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Genetic testing was performed in 33 of 46 (72%), with pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants identified in 13 of 33 (39%) and variants of uncertain significance in 8 of 33 (24%). ICDs were implanted in 35 of 46 (76%). Over median follow-up of 36 months (IQR 17-57 months), 8 of 35 had arrhythmia events captured on device interrogation. Families of 26 of 46 patients(57%) underwent screening, leading to a cardiac diagnosis in 6 of 26 families. CONCLUSION: A cause for UCA was not identified in nearly 50% of patients despite extensive investigations, including cascade screening. A large proportion (75%) of ICD shocks occurred in patients without a diagnosis.
Authors: Lisa M Verheul; Sanne A Groeneveld; Feddo P Kirkels; Paul G A Volders; Arco J Teske; Maarten J Cramer; Marco Guglielmo; Rutger J Hassink Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2022-08-10 Impact factor: 4.964
Authors: Maully J Shah; Michael J Silka; Jennifer N Avari Silva; Seshadri Balaji; Cheyenne M Beach; Monica N Benjamin; Charles I Berul; Bryan Cannon; Frank Cecchin; Mitchell I Cohen; Aarti S Dalal; Brynn E Dechert; Anne Foster; Roman Gebauer; M Cecilia Gonzalez Corcia; Prince J Kannankeril; Peter P Karpawich; Jeffery J Kim; Mani Ram Krishna; Peter Kubuš; Martin J LaPage; Douglas Y Mah; Lindsey Malloy-Walton; Aya Miyazaki; Kara S Motonaga; Mary C Niu; Melissa Olen; Thomas Paul; Eric Rosenthal; Elizabeth V Saarel; Massimo Stefano Silvetti; Elizabeth A Stephenson; Reina B Tan; John Triedman; Nicholas H Von Bergen; Philip L Wackel Journal: Indian Pacing Electrophysiol J Date: 2021-07-29