Examination of Electrocardiography and 24-Hour Holter Electrocardiography Data of Children Presenting With the Complaint of Palpitation.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Introduction: Palpitations are the most common and most important symptoms of patients with rhythm disturbances. Rhythm disturbances may not be detected by electrocardiography. Objective: The aim of our study is to evaluate the results of electrocardiography and 24-hour holter electrocardiography monitoring in children presenting with the complaint of palpitations, to determine the rhythm disturbances and their frequency, and to emphasize the role of holter in diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: Material and Methods: Electrocardiography, 24-hour holter monitoring and echocardiography data of 320 children admitted to our hospital with the complaint of palpitations were evaluated. RESULTS: Results: One hundred-sixty three of the patients were female (50.9%). Isolated palpitations in 246 (76.9%) patients, palpitations and chest pain in 55 (17.2%), palpitations and syncope in 18 (5.6%), one patient had (0.3%) palpitations and shortness of breath. The most common arrhythmias were supraventricular extrasystole in 63 patients (19.7%) and ventricular extrasystole in 58 patients (18.2%) in holter. Severe arrhythmia was detected in 63 of the patients. The rate of severe arrhythmia in patients presenting with isolated palpitations was found to be statistically significantly higher than the other groups (p˂0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Conclusion: Detection of arrhythmias in the holters of pediatric patients with normal electrocardiography shows that the arrhythmias of the patients can be overlooked only with electrocardiography. The higher rate of serious arrhythmias in patients presenting with isolated palpitations compared to patients with other complaints may indicate that we should be more careful in terms of arrhythmia in patients presenting with isolated palpitations.

Keywords

• palpitations
• child
• holter monitoring
• cardiac arrhythmia