Inherited heart rhythm and conduction disorders in children with infectious diseases

Introduction. One of the causes of sudden cardiac death in children is inherited arrhythmias. In view of the links between the increase in body temperature and the manifestation of some inherited cardiac arrhythmias (including typical electrocardiographic changes), the frequency of inherited cardiac arrhythmias in children with infectious diseases have been analyzed.

The relevance of the study: is initiated by the necessity of timely diagnosis of inherited cardiac arrhythmias and conduction in children in order to prevent sudden cardiac death in them.

The purpose of the study: to determine the frequency of inherited arrhythmias in children with infectious diseases based on clinical and electrocardiographic analysis.

Materials and methods: 3584 electrocardiograms (ECGs) of children with infectious diseases (average age 8.5 ± 5.3 years old; boys – 57.5%, girls – 42.5%) hospitalized in the Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases were analyzed. Patients with changes in the ECGs were given additional examination depending on the intended diagnosis (inherited arrhythmias): 24-Hour Holter ECG monitoring, stress test, echocardiography. The family history was also clarified, and the parents’ ECG was analyzed.

Results and conclusions. ECG changes, which are typical for Brugada syndrome (type 1), were detected in two children (0.05%) at first. Long QT syndrome was also detected in two children (0,05%). Mutations in the SCN5A gene were identified in children with Brugada syndrome, and in the KCNQ1 gene with long QT syndrome. An episode of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia was recorded at night in a 5-year-old girl with atrioventricular block 1 degree, hypoadaptation of the QT interval with repeated Holter ECG monitoring during sleep. Cases of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias have previously been described in the literature in patients with Brugada syndrome. An increase in body temperature leads to disruption of the sodium ion channels which underlie the development of this syndrome, thereby, on the one hand, increasing the risk of life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, on the other hand, to the clinical manifestation of the disease, allowing the diagnosis to be made in time. In the cases of long QT syndrome, in our study, the increase in the corrected QT interval (QTc) is most likely due to a change in heart rate rather than a direct effect of an increase in body temperature on the ion channels.

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