Pediatric Atrial Ectopic Tachycardia Guidelines

Updated: Nov 18, 2022
  • Author: Shubhayan Sanatani, MD, FRCPC, FHRS; Chief Editor: Stuart Berger, MD  more...
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Guidelines

Guidelines Summary

No specific guidelines have been developed for the management of pediatric atrial flutter. The 2015 American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and the Heart Rhythm Society (ACC/AHA/HRS) joint guidelines for the management of supraventricular tachycardia note that while the guidelines are intended for adults (≥18 years of age) and offers no specific recommendations for pediatric patients, in some cases, the data from noninfant pediatric patients was reviewed and helped inform the guideline. [14]

The guidelines state that pharmacological therapy is largely based on practice patterns because random controlled trials (RCTs) of antiarrhythmic medications in children are lacking. Amiodarone, sotalol, propafenone, or flecainide can be used in infants. In older children, beta-blockers are used most often as the initial therapy. Flecainide is not used as a first-line medication in children because of the rare occurrence of adverse events. Catheter ablation can be successfully performed in children of all ages, with success rates comparable to those reported in adults. [14]