title: Diagnosis and Acute Management of Tachyarrhythmias in Children.
abstract: Tachyarrhythmias form a significant majority of the cardiac emergencies encountered in the pediatric age group. While the initial management often depends on the hemodynamic status of the patient at presentation, a systematic approach that follows the stabilization of the patient with the tools available at bedside, specifically the surface electrocardiogram often results in optimal treatment response that is tailored towards the mechanism and severity of the arrhythmia. The goal of this review is to provide the pediatric cardiologist with such an approach based on clinical history and analysis of the electrocardiogram (ECG). Illustrative examples are used to explain this approach towards the more common tachyarrhythmias. A general overview of the initial anti-arrhythmic interventions will be provided.
authors.affiliation: Section of Pediatric Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas, 6410 Fannin St, Suite UTPB, 425, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. chandra.srinivasan@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Chandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D019468:Disease Management; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D000067716:Point-of-Care Testing; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Acute management; Children; Diagnosis; Tachyarrhythmias