Can electrocardiogram findings on admission guide the appropriate selection of ECMO versus temporary pacing in pediatric patients with acute myocarditis?
Electrocardiogram findings on admission, specifically QRS width and ST-segment changes, can effectively guide the decision between ECMO and temporary pacing in pediatric acute myocarditis to avoid excessive treatment.
Regarding emergency intervention for acute myocarditis, ECMO or temporary pacing could be determined based on electrocardiogram findings, particularly wide QRS complexes with ST-segment changes on admission. It is important to promptly introduce ECMO in patients with wide QRS complexes with ST-segment changes, however, patients with CAVB and/or advanced AVB and narrow QRS could improve without undergoing ECMO. Therefore, excessive treatment should be avoided by separating ECMO from temporary pacing based on electrocardiogram findings on admission.
Murakoshi et al. (Sat,) studied this question.