Evaluation by exercise testing of children with mild and moderate valvular aortic stenosis.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present paper was to determine the factors related to sudden death in aortic stenosis.


METHODS
The factors related to sudden death were investigated in 40 asymptomatic children with mild and moderate aortic stenosis by treadmill testing.


RESULTS
The QT interval of aortic stenosis cases were significantly longer than those of healthy children with increasing heart rates during exercise.


CONCLUSIONS
A longer QT interval of aortic stenosis cases compared to normal children during exercise is the first sign of myocardial ischemia and leads to fatal ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. For this reason we recommend that exercise testing should be performed frequently in aortic stenosis patients and that close follow up is necessary for patients with long QT segments that can be a marker for severe arrhythmias.
Yilmaz
G
G
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey. gonca@ato.org.tr
Ozme
S
S
Ozer
S
S
Tokel
K
K
Celiker
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis