title: [The electrocardiogram in the paediatric age group].
abstract: A properly interpreted electrocardiogram (ECG) provides important information and is an inexpensive and easy test to perform. It continues to be the method of choice for the diagnosis of arrhythmias. Although the principles of cardiac electrophysiology are the same, there are anatomical and physiological age-dependent changes which produce specific alterations in the paediatric ECG, and which may be misinterpreted as pathological. The intention of this article is to address in a systematic way the most relevant aspects of the paediatric ECG, to propose a possible reading scheme of the ECG and to review the electrocardiograph tracings most frequently found in the paediatric age group.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pediatria, Hospital Distrital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal. Electronic address: marcosanches16@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanches
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Saúde Familiar Santiago, Centro de Saúde Arnaldo Sampaio, Leiria, Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pediatria, Hospital Distrital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pediatria, Hospital Distrital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans
keywords: Electrocardiogram; Electrocardiograma; Especificidades; Interpretación; Interpretation; Paediatrics; Pediatría; Specificities