Normal Sinus Rhythm-Sinus Bradycardia is Common in Young Children Post-extracardiac Fontan.

ABSTRACT

We hypothesized that normal sinus rhythm-sinus bradycardia is common in young children following extracardiac Fontan. After excluding patients with sinus pauses, junctional rhythm, tachy-brady syndrome, frequent ectopics, or ectopic atrial rhythm, we found an ambulatory 24-h Holter monitor average heart rate of 78 ± 12 beats per minute (bpm) in 33 post-extracardiac Fontan children with a median age of 6 years (5-10). A 24-h average heart rate of 78 ± 12 bpm is statistically significantly lower than a 24-h average heart rate value of 90 ± 10 bpm derived from a similarly aged control population (p < 0.01). We conclude that after excluding those with significant arrhythmias, normal sinus rhythm-sinus bradycardia is common in children post-extracardiac Fontan.