title: Heart rate variability improvement in children using transcatheter atrial septal defect closure.
abstract: We evaluated autonomic behavior by examining heart rate variability (HRV) in the time domain and frequency domain in pediatric patients who underwent transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD).
  
  
  
  A prospective study design was used. Holter ECG was performed in a control group of 30 healthy subjects and a group of 47 patients who underwent transcatheter ASD closure. ECG was taken one day before, one day after, and six months after the procedure to evaluate changes in the time domain [SDNN, rMSSD, NN, pNN50(%), and SDANN] and frequency domain (VLF, LF, HF, VHF, and LF/HF) in the patient group. Student's t-test was used to evaluate changes prior to and after the procedure.
  
  
  
  There were 28 females (60%) in the patient group and 21 females (70%) in the control group. The mean age and weight of the participants in the patient group were 9.61±4.72 years and 32.40±19.60 kg, respectively; the mean age and weight of the control subjects were 10.43±5.31 years and 32.83±13.00 kg, respectively. In both the time domain and frequency domain analyses, the patient group values were found to be lower than those in the control group prior to the procedure; the values in the patient group were found to approach the values in the control group following the procedure. By the sixth month, the values in the patient group reached the control levels with no statistically significant difference (SDNN: 145±0.84, 137.50±42.50; rMSSD: 72.18±48.22, 58.14±28.49; SDANN: 125.13±13.50, 122.40±41.06; VLF: 112.85±29.07, 114.41±98.39; LF: 50.40±24.09, 45.69±15.13; HF: 39.28±19.86, 44.29±13.14; VHF: 10.29±4.24, 9.99±6.47; LF/HF: 1.90±1.44, 1.24±0.81; p>0.05).
  
  
  
  The transcatheter closure of secundum ASDs was found to have a positive effect on HRV. Consequently, it may contribute to reduced mortality and morbidity. We can conclude that in children, HRV recovers approximately six months after transcatheter ASD closure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center and Research Hospital; İstanbul-Turkey. isaozy@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: İsa
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Özyılmaz
authors.forename: Yakup
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ergül
authors.forename: Hasan Tahsin
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Tola
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saygı
authors.forename: Erkut
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Öztürk
authors.forename: İbrahim Cansaran
authors.initials: İC
authors.lastname: Tanıdır
authors.forename: Öyku
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Tosun
authors.forename: Sinem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Özyılmaz
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gül
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Güzeltaş
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ödemiş
authors.forename: İhsan
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Bakır
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome