Pediatric Cardiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Ayhan Çevik gave important information about pediatric heart rhythm disorder. Cardiovascular diseases, which are among the leading causes of death worldwide, are not only common in advanced ages but also in infants, children and youth.
Arrhythmia is defined as a slower, faster or irregular heart beat than normal. Since the blood pumping pattern of the heart, which does not work in its normal rhythm, will also be disrupted, various symptoms occur in the person.
What are the symptoms?
Palpitations, weakness, fatigue, blackout, dizziness, chest pain, fainting with exertion, heart failure in some progressive and untreated rhythm disorders and even sudden cardiac arrest.
Palpitations may not always mean a rhythm disorder in the heart. In febrile diseases, anemia or thyroid gland diseases, the person may perceive the change in heart rate as palpitations. For this reason, these evaluations should be made by the pediatrician in patients who apply with the complaint of palpitation.
How is the diagnosis made?
The parent doubts the complaints and even helps in making the diagnosis. Mothers are very sensitive and good observers in this regard. In the presence of these sudden complaints in a child who has everything normal, when you put your hand on the child's heart, you may notice that there is a heartbeat that is too fast to count. At that time, your child may have mild chest pain and pallor. You can measure both your child's heart rate and oxygen content at that time with finger pulse counting in smartphone applications, and with small finger probes that can be purchased from medical product vendors when in doubt. In this way, you can detect the presence of short-term attacks and give it to your doctor as preliminary information. In long-lasting palpitations, it will be useful to apply to your nearest health institution and have an EKG taken. Please keep this EKG and show it to the pediatric cardiologist who will follow you.
What does a pediatric cardiologist do for diagnosis?
Diagnosis is made by ECG evaluation, evaluation of intracardiac structures with echocardiography, 24-hour rhythm holter recordings, event recorder, intracardiac loop recorder, effort test, Transesophageal alectophysiological study, electrophysiological study.
prof. Dr. Çevik stated the following about the treatment of the disease:
“Depending on the patient's age, type and degree of rhythm disorder, drug treatment is given or ablation therapy is applied. Rhythm disorders, especially in infancy, have a tendency to improve over time. The drugs to be given are aimed at eliminating the side effects of the rhythm disorder and are not a definitive solution. In rhythm disorders that continue after the age of 5, electrophysiological studies are performed and ablation treatments are applied in the heart.” said.
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