![]() ![]() If it persists then most individuals will require treatment. In some children the problem may resolve on its own, usually within the first few years of life. Open-heart surgery - to eliminate the extra pathway.An artificial pacemaker - to help regulate the heart rate.An electrophysiology study - to locate the site of the extra pathway and eliminate it, using a short treatment with radio frequency energy, applied through a catheter.Electric cardioversion (shock) - to stop a tachycardia attack.Anti-arrhythmic drugs - to slow the heart rate or to prevent attacks.These tricks could include blowing hard against resistance (such as with mouth and nose closed) or a facial ice pack. Vagal manoeuvres - Use of various 'tricks' that may cause a nerve reflex to slow the heart rate.The treatment options for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome depend on the severity, but can include: Electrophysiology study, which measures the heart’s electrical activity by threading a number of catheters through the blood vessels, from the groin to the heart, to map the heart's electrical activity.Holter (24 hour) ECG to monitor the ECG and heart rate over a longer period.Exercise testing to assess whether the ECG abnormality persists with exercise.Echocardiogram to rule out associated structural heart defects.Electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the heart’s electrical activity.Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is investigated using a number of tests including: Since the cause is unknown, prevention is not possible. However some families may have more than one affected individual and there does appear to be a weak hereditary tendency, with an increased incidence in the children of affected individuals (4-). The condition is present at birth, but genetic factors usually do not play a major role. It is not clear what causes the additional pathway to develop inside the heart. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is one of the leading causes of fast heart rate disorder in newborns and young children. However some of the complications of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome can include: In most cases the episodes of tachycardia are short-lived and the person recovers quickly. Episodes of markedly accelerated heart rate (usually faster than 200 beats per minute).The symptoms of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome include: ![]() ![]() The condition can be managed with medications and a procedure to get rid of the extra pathway, which usually does not require surgery. The heart rate can reach over 200 beats per minute, when the normal resting heart rate is around 70 to 80 beats per minute.īetween one and two people per 1000 are thought to have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. This creates a circuit in which each atrial (upper chamber) beat is followed by a ventricular (lower chamber) beat, which is then followed by another atrial beat and so on. However sometimes the extra (“accessory”) pathway may “bounce” the electrical impulses back to the atria after each beat. This extra pathway does not usually have serious consequences. In Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, an extra pathway conducts the electrical impulses to the ventricles without the normal delay. ![]() Usually electrical impulses pause at the atrioventricular node before prompting the ventricles to contract. The heartbeat is regulated by electrical impulses that travel through the atria (upper chambers of the heart) to a knot of tissue known as the atrioventricular node, and then to the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart). In some people the ECG abnormality may be present without any symptoms such as tachycardia. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is characterised by attacks of rapid heart rate (tachycardia), which is shown in an electrocardiogram (ECG). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |