title: Arrhythmias in children with ventricular assist devices.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children with decompensated heart failure are at high risk for arrhythmias, and ventricular assist device placement is becoming a more common treatment strategy. The impact of ventricular assist devices on arrhythmias and how arrhythmias affect the clinical course of this population are not well described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A single-centre retrospective analysis of children receiving a ventricular assist device between 1998 and 2011 was performed. In all, 45 patients received 56 ventricular assist devices. The median age at initial placement was 13 years (interquartile range 6-15). The median duration of support was 10 days (range 2-260). The aetiology of heart failure included cardiomyopathy, transplant rejection, myocarditis, and congenital heart disease. In all, 32 patients (71%) had an arrhythmia; 19 patients (42%) had an arrhythmia before ventricular assist device and eight patients (18%) developed new arrhythmias on ventricular assist device. Ventricular tachycardia was most common (25/32, 78%). There was no correlation between arrhythmia and risk of death or transplantation (p=0.14). Of the 15 patients who weaned from ventricular assist device, post-ventricular assist device arrhythmias occurred in nine (60%), with five (33%) having their first arrhythmia after weaning. Patients with ventricular dysfunction after ventricular assist device were more likely to have arrhythmias (p<0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arrhythmias, especially ventricular, are common in children requiring ventricular assist device. They frequently persist for those able to wean from ventricular assist device.
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: W Buck
authors: WB
authors: Kyle
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: Jamie
authors: J
authors: Decker
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: Scott L
authors: SL
authors: Macicek
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: Santiago O
authors: SO
authors: Valdes
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Morales
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: Borah
authors: B
authors: Hong
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: Jack F
authors: JF
authors: Price
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Dreyer
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: Susan W
authors: SW
authors: Denfield
authors: 1Department of Pediatrics,Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine,Houston,Texas,United States of America.
authors: Jeffrey J
authors: JJ
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000150:complications; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: heart failure