Tachycardias in Infants, Children and Adolescents: Safety and Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation

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Abstract
Radiofrequency catheter ablations provide an effective control of a variety of supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias in adults. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency catheter ablations in infants, children and adolescents. Ninty-three ablations were performed in 84 patients ranging from 5 months to 18 years of age. All but 1 patient were successfully treated (98.8%). Two patients required 1 and 2 additional attempts to achieve success. Tachyarrhythmic episodes recurred in 4 patients within 1–5 months after ablation, which were successfully treated by repeating the intervention. Significant complications occurred in 3 of the ablations (3.2%). Although radiofrequency ablations are very effective and safe in pediatric patients, indications should be restricted in patients younger than 4 years because of a higher risk of possibly life-threatening complications.