Usefulness of long-term ambulatory electrocardiography in heart disease screening system for school children and high school students.

Long-term ambulatory electrocardiography was utilized in a heart disease screening system for elementary school children and junior and senior high school students in Nagoya, Japan. The elementary school children, and junior and senior high school students who have serious arrhythmias or potential risk of syncope and sudden death are the subjects of ambulatory monitoring. Of 42 school children and students taking ambulatory electrocardiography for frequent ventricular premature contractions, 8 had Lown's grade 4A, 4B or 5. The cases with third-degree AV block showed ventricular tachycardia or frequent ventricular premature contractions during exercise in ambulatory electrocardiograms. These complex ventricular arrhythmias are possible risk factors of sudden death. It has been proved that ambulatory monitoring is beneficial in the screening and management of serious arrhythmias in the heart disease screening system.