Efficacy and safety of intravenous amiodarone for short-term treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in children.

The use of intravenous amiodarone was assessed during 23 episodes of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in 15 children aged 9 days to 11 years. Five of the fifteen patients had congenital structural heart disease, and three had Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome. Tachyarrhythmias were returned to sinus rhythm during 20 of the 23 episodes (87%). No major adverse effects occurred. Recurrence of tachycardia was not observed during short-term follow-up. In conclusion, intravenous amiodarone is an effective, safe antiarrhythmic drug for short-term treatment of supraventricular tachycardia in children.