[Transplacental cardioversion of fetal supraventricular tachycardia using sotalol]

Intrauterine fetal supraventricular tachycardia (FSVT) is a rare condition which is connected with organic heart disease in 4-10 per cent. Intrauterine pharmacologic cardioversion with digoxin and verapamil has been recommended previously. However, during pregnancy standard doses of digoxin result in suboptimal concentrations in the maternal serum and fetal therapeutic concentrations might demand doses inconvenient to the mother. Verapamil is not always effective. In this report we describe a case of FSVT. The arrhythmia was treated by administering sotalol to the mother after verapamil had failed to alter the fetal heart rate. This ist the first report of a fetal cardioversion with sotalol. We conclude that sotalol may be useful in the treatment of FSVT that is refractory to digoxin or verapamil.