Arrhythmias and conduction disturbances in children at the Department of Child Health, School of Medicine University of North Sumatra/Dr. Pirngadi Hospital Medan.

A retrospective study on arrhythmias and conduction disturbances was conducted in 1986 in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology of Dr. Pirngadi Hospital, Medan. There were 106 (35.33%) cases with arrhythmias and conduction disturbances out of 300 patients studied. The most common type of arrhythmia among the patients under 5 was intraventricular conduction defects, whilst in the age group of 5-10 were sinus tachycardia and intraventricular conduction defects, and in the age group of 10-15 was first degree A-V block. Rheumatic heart diseases and VSD were the most common cardiac diseases associated with arrhythmias, where the frequency were 18.86% and 10.37%, respectively. Arrhythmias associated with several extracardiac diseases were found in 60 (56.61%). Two out of 7 cases treated with antiarrhythmic agents died with SVT associated with bronchopneumonia, and atrial fibrillation associated with gastroenteritis, dehydration and malnutrition. Treatment against the main diseases (without antiarrhythmic agents) was done in the remainder. Even though the overall mortality rate was 13.20%, it was not due to arrhythmia itself but most of them died of non-arrhythmic origin.