Key result
Palpitations help detect lethal arrhythmias since ~50% of pediatric sudden cardiac arrests are asymptomatic.
Palpitations in children and adolescents warrant careful evaluation to detect potentially lethal arrhythmias such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and long QT syndrome.
Evaluation of pediatric palpitations may detect lethal arrhythmias; leaves open whether screening reduces sudden arrest rates.
Palpitations are a common complaint, particularly in teenagers, with etiologies ranging from no detectable cardiac dysrhythmia to life-threatening dysrhythmias. Despite the fact that as many as 50% of children and adolescents may be asymptomatic prior to experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, the occurrence of palpitations may afford the opportunity to detect a potentially lethal arrhythmia condition. This article discusses the evaluation of palpitations in the pediatric population by focusing on the two most common life-threatening arrhythmia diagnoses that may initially manifest itself in the pediatric population with the chief complaint of palpitations-Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and the long QT syndrome.
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Jeanny K. Park (2015) conducted a review in Palpitations and Arrhythmias (Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and long QT syndrome). Palpitations provide a critical opportunity to detect lethal arrhythmias like Wolff-Parkinson-White and long QT syndromes, as up to 50% of pediatric sudden cardiac arrest cases are asymptomatic.
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