Structured inpatient evaluation of neonatal cardiac ectopy

• Published in: Journal of perinatology 2018-06, Vol.38 (6), p.696-701
• Main Authors: Hurst, Irene A., Webster, Gregory, Machut, Kerri Z., Gotteiner, Nina, Chaouki, Ahmad Sami, Groothuis, Elizabeth N., Murthy, Karna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/699/75; 692/700/1720; Arrhythmia; Cardiac arrhythmia; Care and treatment; Development and progression; EKG; Electrocardiography; Etiology; Gestation; Heart; Infants; Medical research; Medical schools; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neonatal diseases; Neonates; Newborn babies; Newborn infants; Paroxysmal tachycardia; Pediatric Surgery; Pediatrics; Pregnancy; Tachycardia; Ventricle; Ventricular tachycardia
• ISSN: 0743-8346; 1476-5543
• DOI: 10.1038/s41372-018-0089-8

Objective(s) In well-appearing newborns with suspected cardiac ectopy, we sought to evaluate our practice and test whether initial electrocardiogram (ECG) findings were associated with neonatal arrhythmias (NA). Study design We identified well-appearing, non-anomalous infants >34 weeks’ gestation with suspected ectopy over 3.5 years. NA was defined as ≥10% premature atrial contractions (PAC), ≥5 beats of atrial tachycardia, ≥2% premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), or ≥3 beats of ventricular tachycardia. The unadjusted associations between initial ECG findings and NA are reported. Result Among 126 infants with ECGs and Holters performed, NA was observed in 38 patients (30%) and was similar whether PACs were present or not on the initial ECG (33% vs. no PACs: 29%, p  = 0.6). However, NAs were identified more frequently based on the presence of PVCs on the initial ECG (83% vs. 25%, p