All issues > Volume 32(6); 1989

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1989;32(6):765-772. Published online June 30, 1989.

Clinical Observation on Amiodarone Treatment for Critical Arrhythmia in Children.

Ki Soo Kim¹, Chung Il Noh¹, Jung Yun Choi¹, Yong Soo Yoon¹, Chang Yee Hong¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

Received: November 28, 1988;  Accepted: November 28, 1988.

Abstract

Sixteen cases of critical arrhythmia in children were prospectively studied at the department of pediatrics, Seoul National University Hospital, from Oct. 1986 to Apr. 1988 in order to determine the efficacy and side effect of amiodarone treatment in children. Their ages ranged from 5 months to 17 years with 2 patients younger than 1 year of age. The most frequent indication of amiodarone treatment was postoperative arrhythmia. Oral amiodarone was given to the patients for a mean duration of 4.0 months (range; 3 weeks to 10 months). The treatment was successful in 9 (56%), partially successful in 4 (25%), and unsuccessful in 3 (19 %) patients. 13 out of 16 patients showed that amiodarone was completely or partially effective. There was a delay before response to treatment. This therapeutic latency ranged from 2 to 9 days, and its mean was 5.8 days with a peak at day 4. 5 episodes of side effect (corneal microdeposit in 2, abnormal thyroid function test without symptoms in 2, and arrhythmogenic effect in 1 patient) were found in 4 patients (25%). One patient had 2 side effects. In two cases, amiodarone stopped because of complications. This study revealed that amiodarone is very effective for a wide range of arrhythmia in children. However side effects are frequent and several of them are potentially fatal. Since long term effects in children are unknown and serious side effects are possible, we recommend that amiodarone be d only. for treatment of drug resistant or life threatening arrhythmias with great precaution for side effects.

Keywords :Amiodarone, Arrhythmia, Efficacy, Side effect