Pharmacologic management of arrhythmias

The role of antiarrhythmic drugs in the management of children with arrhythmias has changed due to the rapid development of radiofrequency ablation. Moreover, the release of new drugs and a better insight into the electrophysiologic mechanisms of arrhythmias have changed former patterns of drug management. However, because of lack of controlled trials, arrhythmia management in pediatrics is still mainly based on clinical studies and individual experience. Within these limitations, I attempt to give practical recommendations for the management of the different arrhythmias seen in children based on the latest developments in this area

Cardiac arrhythmias after atrial surgery in children

This thesis deals with the cardiac arrhythmias seen after two types of operation in the atrium of the heart; the Mustard operation for transposition of the great arteries and the surgical repair of the atrial septal defect of the secundum type. The motive for the studies collected in this thesis was the fact that we saw a high incidence of arrhythmias after both operations, requiring drug treatment or pacemaker implantation, and occasionally resulting in sudden unexpected death. The objectives of our work were to determine the incidence, the severity and the natural history of the arrhythmias seen after these types of atrial surgery. An even more important goal was to detect the causes of these arrhythmias, and to find the startingpoints for elimination of them. ... Zie: Summary