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Chronic supraventricular tachycardia in infancy and childhood
Insights
This study followed 9 children with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). While no treatment cured SVT, digitalis helped manage ventricular rates, and most cases resolved over time.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Cardiac Arrhythmias
Background:
- Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) can affect children, with diagnosis occurring from prenatal to adolescent stages.
- The presentation of SVT varies, including sustained and repetitive patterns, with some cases exhibiting reciprocal rhythm or exit block.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the long-term follow-up results of pediatric patients diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia.
- To evaluate the natural course and treatment outcomes of SVT in a pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal follow-up study involving 9 children diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) was used for diagnosis, with follow-up durations ranging from 1 to 19 years.
Main Results:
- Diagnosis of SVT occurred from before birth to 12 years of age.
- While no treatment completely abolished arrhythmias, digitalis effectively reduced ventricular rates in 6 out of 9 patients.
- SVT resolved in 6 patients within 7 months to 10 years, while 3 patients continued to have tachycardia at follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Supraventricular tachycardia in children can have a variable long-term prognosis, with spontaneous resolution occurring in a majority of cases.
- Digitalis may serve as a useful adjunctive therapy for rate control in pediatric SVT.
- Further research is warranted to explore novel therapeutic strategies for persistent pediatric SVT.
Abstract:
The results of a one to 19 year follow-up study of 9 children with supraventricular tachycardia of more than one month's duration are reported. The ECG diagnosis of tachycardia was made before birth in one patient and between the ages of 8 months and 12 years in 8. Four had sustained and 4 had repetitive tachycardia, while one patient had both patterns at different times. Reciprocal rhythm was diagnosed in 3 patients and exit block in 2. Severe symptoms had occurred in 2 patients, but as a rule symptoms were mild or absent. No treatment abolished the arrhythmias but digitalis reduced the overall ventricular rate in 6 patients. After a duration of 1-7 years, 3 patients still had tachycardia at the follow-up. In the remaining 6 patients the tachycardia had subsided 7 months to 10 years after the onset.