title: Increased P-wave and QT dispersions necessitate long-term follow-up evaluation of Down syndrome patients with congenitally normal hearts.
abstract: Reports state that Down syndrome (DS) patients with congenitally normal hearts might experience the development of cardiac abnormalities such as cardiac autonomic dysfunction, valvular lesions, bradycardia, and atrioventricular block. However, the presence of any difference in terms of P-wave dispersion (PWd) and QT dispersion (QTd) was not evaluated previously. This study prospectively investigated 100 DS patients with structurally normal hearts and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Standard 12-lead electrocardiograms were used to assess and compare P-wave and QT durations together with PWd and QTd. The median age of the DS patients and control subjects was 48 months. Heart rates and P-wave and QT dispersions were significantly greater in the DS group than in the control group (113 ± 22.9 vs 98.8 ± 16.6 bpm, p < 0.001; 31.3 ± 9.5 vs 24 ± 8.6 ms, p < 0.001; and 46.6 ± 15.9 vs 26 ± 9.1 ms, p < 0.001, respectively). A positive correlation was found between PWd and age in the DS patients (p < 0.05; r = 0.2). All children with DS should be followed up carefully with electrocardiography in terms of increased P-wave and QT dispersions even in the absence of concomitant congenital heart disease for management of susceptibility to arryhthmias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Izmir Dr. Behcet Uz Children's Hospital, 1374 St. No:11 Alsancak, Izmir, Turkey, karadenizcem@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karadeniz
authors.forename: Rahmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Fikri
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Yılmaz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yozgat
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Küçük
authors.forename: Talia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oner
authors.forename: Utku
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Karaarslan
authors.forename: Timur
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meşe
authors.forename: Nurettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Unal
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies