First experience of monitoring with cardiac event recorder electrocardiography Omron system in childhood population for sporadic, potentially arrhythmia-related symptoms

Europace. 2011 Sep;13(9):1335-9. doi: 10.1093/europace/eur159. Epub 2011 May 26.

Abstract

Aims: To document symptomatic episodes of palpitations with traditional methods such as24 h Holter monitoring (HM) or loop recorders remains a big challenge in clinical practice. Clinical trials with patient-activated electrocardiography (ECG) recorders show increased diagnostic yield in such patients. However, studies in the paediatric population are limited. We want to present a first experience with an event-recording system Omron HeartScan in children with symptomatic palpitations.

Methods and results: Thirty paediatric patients (age 4-16 years) were followed with the Omron at our centre. All patients had a normal echocardiogram, a normal baseline 12-lead ECG and a normal 24 h HM. Indications with regard to monitoring were palpitations (n = 30). Two of them also had episodes of pre-syncope. The average of palpitation episodes in the past 3 months was 13.2 ± 8.3. The mean age of the study population was 9.7 ± 2.3 years [17 males (56.7 %)]. In all patients (n = 30) a diagnostic event could be recorded with the studied system. Four patients were diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and underwent catheter ablation. The remaining patients (n = 26; 87%) were diagnosed with sinus tachycardia. Two patients with SVT additionally had episodes of pre-syncope. None of the patients could be diagnosed with previous 24 h HM.

Conclusion: This event recorder has a high diagnostic yield in the childhood population. The children enjoyed the ease of using the system under daily-life conditions. In this study the system was able to record a diagnostic event in all patients with palpitations.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Catheter Ablation
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / economics
  • Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / instrumentation*
  • Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pilot Projects
  • Syncope / diagnosis
  • Tachycardia, Sinus / diagnosis*
  • Tachycardia, Sinus / surgery
  • Tachycardia, Supraventricular / diagnosis*
  • Tachycardia, Supraventricular / surgery