What is arrhythmia?
Arrhythmia refers to the changes in the regular, even rhythm of the heartbeat. If your child has an arrhythmia, his or her heart might beat too fast or too slow, or it might skip a beat or have extra beats.
Most arrhythmias are harmless, but some can be serious and even life-threatening. If your child’s heart beats too fast (a condition known as tachycardia), or too slow (bradycardia), it might affect the heart’s ability of pumping blood efficiently.
What are the types of arrhythmia?
Arrhythmia can be divided into three general categories: Atrial (Supraventricular) arrhythmia; Ventricular arrhythmia, and Bradyarrhythmia.
Atrial arrhythmias in children include:
- Atrial fibrillation
- Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
- Premature atrial contractions (PACs)
- Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
- AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)
Ventricular arrhythmias in children include:
- Ventricular fibrillation
- Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)
- Ventricular tachycardia (V-tach)
Bradyarrhythmia in children include:
- Heart block
- Sinus node dysfunction
What causes arrhythmia in children?
The common causes of arrhythmia in children are as follows:
- Congenital heart defect
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