Version 1
: Received: 17 August 2024 / Approved: 18 August 2024 / Online: 20 August 2024 (05:13:11 CEST)
Version 2
: Received: 1 September 2024 / Approved: 3 September 2024 / Online: 4 September 2024 (04:43:46 CEST)
How to cite:
Constante, A. D.; Suarez, J.; Lourenço, G.; Portugal, G.; Cunha, P. S.; Oliveira, M. M.; Trigo, C.; Pinto, F. F.; Laranjo, S. Prevalence, Management, and Outcomes of Atrial Fibrillation in Paediatric Patients: Insights from a Tertiary Cardiology Centre. Preprints2024, 2024081276. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1276.v2
Constante, A. D.; Suarez, J.; Lourenço, G.; Portugal, G.; Cunha, P. S.; Oliveira, M. M.; Trigo, C.; Pinto, F. F.; Laranjo, S. Prevalence, Management, and Outcomes of Atrial Fibrillation in Paediatric Patients: Insights from a Tertiary Cardiology Centre. Preprints 2024, 2024081276. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1276.v2
Constante, A. D.; Suarez, J.; Lourenço, G.; Portugal, G.; Cunha, P. S.; Oliveira, M. M.; Trigo, C.; Pinto, F. F.; Laranjo, S. Prevalence, Management, and Outcomes of Atrial Fibrillation in Paediatric Patients: Insights from a Tertiary Cardiology Centre. Preprints2024, 2024081276. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1276.v2
APA Style
Constante, A. D., Suarez, J., Lourenço, G., Portugal, G., Cunha, P. S., Oliveira, M. M., Trigo, C., Pinto, F. F., & Laranjo, S. (2024). Prevalence, Management, and Outcomes of Atrial Fibrillation in Paediatric Patients: Insights from a Tertiary Cardiology Centre. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1276.v2
Chicago/Turabian Style
Constante, A. D., Fátima F. Pinto and Sérgio Laranjo. 2024 "Prevalence, Management, and Outcomes of Atrial Fibrillation in Paediatric Patients: Insights from a Tertiary Cardiology Centre" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1276.v2
Abstract
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly recognized in pediatric patients, presenting unique challenges in management due to its association with various underlying heart conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, management strategies, and outcomes of AF in this population. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted at a tertiary pediatric cardiology center, including patients aged ≤18 years diagnosed with AF between January 2015 and December 2023. The study focused on demographic details, clinical presentations, treatments, and outcomes. Descriptive statistics were employed to assess treatment efficacy, recurrence rates, and complications. Results: The study included 36 pediatric patients (median age: 15 years, IQR: 13-17; 58% male). Of these, 52.8% had acquired heart disease, 16.7% had congenital heart anomalies, and 16.7% presented with lone AF. The initial management strategies involved electrical cardioversion in 53.3% of patients and pharmacological conversion with amiodarone in 46.7%. Rhythm control therapy was administered to over 80% of the cohort, and 63.9% were placed on oral anticoagulation, predominantly for rheumatic and congenital heart diseases. The overall success rate of rhythm control was 96.2%, with an AF recurrence rate of 3.8%. Ischemic stroke was the most common complication, occurring in three patients, all with underlying rheumatic heart disease. Conclusion: AF in pediatric patients is predominantly associated with rheumatic and congenital heart diseases, though a significant proportion of patients present with lone AF. Despite effective rhythm control in most cases, neurological complications, particularly ischemic strokes in patients with underlying heart disease, remain a critical concern. These findings underscore the need for more comprehensive studies to better understand the etiology, risk factors, and optimal management strategies for pediatric AF.
Medicine and Pharmacology, Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
