title: [Arrhythmias following orthotopic heart transplantation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate the incidence of arrhythmias to the degree of allograft rejection on endomyocardial biopsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen patients who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation were submitted to ambulatory Holter monitoring 24h prior to endomyocardial biopsy. The biopsy results were compared to Holter monitoring results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean study period was 252 +/- 166 days (15 to 515). We found a high incidence of ventricular premature beats (> 70%), except in patients with severe rejection (25%), but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups with no rejection, mild and moderate rejection. Atrial premature beats were more common in patients with mild and moderate rejection (53% and 70%, respectively) when compared to patients with no rejection (33%) and patients with severe rejection (9%), (p < 0.05). Sinus bradycardia was present in 50% of patients with severe rejection, but only in 9% of moderate, 3% of mild and 5% of the patients with no rejection (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supraventricular tachycardia and atrial premature beats are related to moderate rejection. Ventricular premature beats are not related to degree of rejection. Sinus bradycardia occurring in the first year after transplantation should suggest severe cardiac allograft rejection.
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Coração do Hospital das Clínicas-FMUSP, São Paulo.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bocchi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vilas-Boas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sosa
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiorelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bacal
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stolf
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jatene
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pileggi
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001706:Biopsy; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000150:complications; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence
vernacular_title: Arritmias após transplante cardíaco ortotópico.