Catheter Ablation of Pediatric Atrioventricular Nodal Re-entrant Tachycardia

Abstract

Catheter ablation is considered as the standard treatment for all patients with symptomatic drug-refractory tachyarrhythmia. The safety and efficacy of the procedure in the adult population is well-established. Due to the small size of the patient and difficulty in attaining venous access, infants are rarely subjected to radiofrequency ablation. Here, we report a case of drug-refractory AV nodal re-entrant tachycardia in a two-year-old child. Radiofrequency ablation was performed with a 5-Fr sized medium-curve ablation catheter deployed at the slow pathway region where a fractionated A-wave with slow-pathway potential was recorded. After ablation, no recurrence of SVT at the end of 12 months of follow-up was observed.

Clinical Outcomes and Medical Burdens of Neonatal Arrhythmias in Children’s Hospitals in China: A Protocol for Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

“…Factors such as smaller blood vessels and cardiac chamber volume make RFA more challenging and complex in younger and lower-weight infants. However, recent studies have shown that the incidence of catheter ablation complications in lower-weight patients is not higher [ 10 – 12 ]. Therefore, the decision of whether to choose RFA for these patients remains controversy.…”