Does digitalis relieve and prevent paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in infants and children with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, and what is their long-term prognosis?
Infants and children with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome have a good long-term prognosis into adulthood, and digitalis is highly effective for treating and preventing associated paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.
Sixty-two infants and children with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) were under long-term follow-up at The New York Hospital over a 20-year period. Twenty had associated congenital heart disease. In 29 infants and 6 children in hospitalfor paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, digitalis relieved the episodes in all but one instance and prevented further recur- rences in all but 4. One infant and 3 older children continued to experience briefepisodes ofparoxysmal tachycardia. Though three-quarters of the 42 babies were symptomatic, only 4 of the 46 followed as children and adolescents had tachyrhythmias. The prognosis into adult lifefor infants and children with WPW with or without episodes of tachycardia is good.
Giardina et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: