Chronic Supraventricular Tachycardia in Infancy and Childhood

Jacobsen, J. R., Andersen, E. D., Sandøe, E., Videbeek, J. and Wennevold, A. (Medical Department B and Department of Paediatrics, Rigshospitalet, Queen Louise's Hospital for Children, Copenhagen, and Departments of Cardiology and Paediatrics, århus Kommunehospital, århus, Denmark). Chronic supraventricular tachycardia in infancy and childhood. Acta Paediatr Scand, 64:597, 1975.–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.