title: Detection of cardiac dysrhythmias by continuous electrocardiographic recording in children undergoing cardiac surgery.
abstract: The incidence of dysrhythmias was studied using 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring in 65 consecutive cases of children undergoing cardiac surgery. Recordings were made prior to surgery and in the early (1-10 days) and late (3-12 months) post operative periods. Prior to surgery, 25% of the patients displayed supraventricular dysrhythmias (SVD) and 39% ventricular dysrhythmias (VD). Immediately following surgery a dramatic increase in incidence occurred in both SVD and VD. On late follow-up the frequency of ectopy decreased but not to pre-operative levels. Standard 12-lead ECG was much less sensitive than Holter monitoring, detecting less than 25% of all dysrhythmias. Assessment of preoperative rhythm status is necessary to properly interpret postoperative dysrhythmias. Twenty-four hour ambulatory ECG recording is essential for the detection and evaluation of dysrhythmias in children undergoing cardiac surgery.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013997:Time Factors