Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
AEPC 2022 - 55th Annual Meeting of the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology , Geneve, İsviçre, 25 - 28 Mayıs 2022, ss.487-488
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in children is very rare, it has various causes. In
this study, we provided an overview of SCA survivors and evaluated investigations for etiology with
management in our center.
METHODS: We identified 59 pediatric patients with aborted SCA (aSCA) only documented by the
healthcare professionals (emergency physician, pediatrician, and pediatric cardiologist) between
March 2010 and December 2021. Clinical history, non-invasive and invasive diagnostic tests and
therapies were noted from FileMaker® Database.
RESULTS: The mean ± standard deviation age of patients was 9,6 ± 5.5 years (2 month-21 years) and
55.9% were male. Echocardiography and other imaging tests revealed structural heart disease
(group 1) in 18 patients (30.5%). 37 patients (62.8%) had electrical heart disease (group 2) and no
cause was found in the remaining four patients (Table 1). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was the
most common cause (4/18, 22%) in the first group. Long QT syndrome (LQTS) was the most common
cause (12/17, 32.4%) in the second group. 46 patients (78%) had SCA as the first manifestation of
heart disease. While SCA occurred with exertion in 14 patients (23.7%), SCA developed in 38 patients
(64.7%) at rest. According to the information obtained from the data, the most common
documented cardiac arrest rhythm was ventricular fibrillation in 15 patients (25.4%). The median
intensive care unit follow-up period of survivors after sudden cardiac arrest was 7 days (2-46 days).
Neurological sequelae remained in 10 (16.9%) patients after aSCD. 15 patients (25.4%) underwent
electrophysiological study and/or ablation. ICD implantation was performed in 44 (74.6%) patients
(29 transvenous, 14 epicardial, 1 cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator (CRT-D)). ICD was
not implanted in 15 patients. Of these, 7 patients did not require ICD due to definitive treatment
(successful ablation therapy, surgical coronary reimplantation, pacemaker implantation,
sympathectomy). ICD could not be inserted because 4 patients died. 4 patients and their families
refused ICD. 9 patients (15.3%) died during the follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: The etiology of aSCA is very variable and present at any age. Detailed non-invasive
and invasive investigations are crucial in revealing the diagnosis. Appropriate treatment and
secondary preventive ICD implantation are life-saving route for selected SCA survivors.