Extreme Pulsus Alternans with P Wave Alternans in a Child

Pulsus alternans was observed in a child with left ventricular dysfunction secondary to systemic hypertension. The Echo-Doppler of supravalvular aorta and a simultaneous electrocardiographic trace (ECG) clearly demonstrated the mechanism of an apparent abrupt halving of pulse frequency compared with the ECG, similar to an electromechanical dissociation 2: 1. Besides the extreme pulsus alternans, a P wave and a PP cycle length change were also observed. Both mechanical and electrical alternans disappeared with afterload reduction by nitroprusside treatment.

Ventricular arrhythmias in children: the uselessness of MRI.

Extracoronary atherosclerosis in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease: Relationship with risk factors and the severity of coronary artery disease

AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of carotid and/or peripheral atherosclerotic lesions in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease (previous acute myocardial infarction [AMI] or stable angina). METHODS: We studied 248 patients (168 male and 80 female), mean age 63+/-10 years, which were investigated for traditional risk factors. Systolic blood pressure, body mass index, lipid profile, fasting glucose and plasma fibrinogen were also measured. We assessed the prevalence of atherosclerotic lesions in carotid and lower limb arteries, by ultrasound duplex scanning (UDS). RESULTS: Angina was present in 33% of the patients, a previous AMI in 67%, a previous tr…

The long QT syndrome in pediatric age: Prognosis and risk factor

AIM: Long QT syndrome is a rare arrhythmic disease with a low incidence in the general population. There are no sure clinical or electrocardiographic parameters that could lead to a correct prognostic stratification in patients affected by this syndrome. The correlation between the incidence of a sudden death or dangerous ventricular arrhythmias and the duration of QTc interval is still a controversial topic. METHODS: Twenty nine children affected by QT long syndrome were admitted to the Division of Pediatric Cardiology of the Casa del Sole Hospital of Palermo (Italy). Their diagnosis was made by electrocardiogram (ECG). The average age of the patients was 7.6 years. The average follow-up w…