Neonatal Supraventricular Tachycardia: Outcomes Over a 10-Year Period at a Single Institution

Abstract

Objective: Supraventricular tachycardia, one of the most common conditions requiring emergency cardiac intervention in newborns, is also the most common symptomatic tachyarrhythmia in newborns. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment approach is important.Method: Demographic findings, clinical findings, and treatment approaches of newborns hospitalized with the diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardia between January 2011 and November 2020 in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of our hospital were evaluated retrospectively.Results: Thirty-eight patients without congenital heart disease (except secundum-type atrial septal defect) and diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia were evaluated retrospectively. The mean week of gestation was 38.2 ± 1.8, the mean age at diagnosis was 10.7 ± 10.1 days, the number of patients with heart failure was 8 (21%), the number of patients with Wolff-Parkinson White syndrome was 8 (21%), the number of patients with fetal arrhythmia was 6 (15.7%) and the mean number of hospitalization days was 15.7±13.5. The patients were given adenosine in the first stage and propranolol, amiodarone, propafenone and flecainide in the second stage as medical treatment. Cardioversion was performed in 5 (13%) patients due to resistant supraventricular tachycardia. Conclusion:Early diagnosis and treatment of supraventricular tachycardia are very important in terms of reducing morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we think that increasing awareness of supraventricular tachycardia among clinicians following newborn babies will enable newborns with supraventricular tachycardia to receive early diagnosis and treatment.