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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Son has extra heart beats
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Son has extra heart beats
by Tonya, Oct 16, 1999 12:00AM
About two years ago this coming January my 2 year old son (at the time). Was discovered to have an irregular heart beat during a routine physical. My son's pediatrition reffered us to a cardiologist, my son then underwent an ECG and the results were that his heart is "Structurally Normal". We have since brought him back every 6 months for an EKG and the reports usually say "Abnormal" and have another description that the Cardiologist doesn't go by. We took our son back yesterday for his 6 month check up and were told by him that he believes our son has an extra path in his heart causing the abnormal beats (which are steady every other beat). He is going to consult with a Electrophysiologist in San Diego to determine what if anything we should do. My son has only had one incident while he was sick last summer his heart rate was Extremely high above the "norm" of what the heart usually beats when there is a fever. We brought him to the emergency room and just waited after they hooked him up to the EKG, no medication was given and his heart returned to a normal range. My question is wouldnt the ECG show if there were another path way in his heart? My cardiologist also spoke of the Ablation proceedure but said he didnt want to do anything until he consulted the Electrophysiologist. Any info you can provide would be GREATLY appreciated.
Tonya Aiello in Hawaii
Tonya Aiello in Hawaii
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB, Oct 16, 1999 12:00AM
AN EKG would not necessarily make the diagnosis of an extra pathway in the heart. Sometimes this information can be determined from an EKG and sometimes further testing is necessary. Certain types of extra pathways can be ablated, or eliminated, via a procedure involving catheters. This sort of procedure is done by a cardiac electrophysiologist. It is safe and usually effective.
