Evaluation of cardiac arrhythmias in Egyptian children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy

Background Adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) is the most common cause of upper airway obstruction in pediatric patients. Aim To study the prevalence of arrhythmias and heart rate variability in children with ATH. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted that included 40 children with ATH, comprising 26 (65%) males and 14 (35%) females, with a mean age of 4.7±1.07 years (range, 3–6 years), who attended pediatric outpatient clinics, Children’s Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt. Included children were subjected to 12-lead ECG and 24-h Holter ECG. Results ECG examination showed that the mean heart rate of our patients was 96.5±8.7 beats/min, and 100% of patients had regular rhythm. Premature atrial contractions more than five of the total QRS in 24-h Holter were found in 9/40 (22.5%) patients and less than 1% of the total QRS in 24-h Holter in 31/40 (77.5%) patients. Premature ventricular contractions less than 1% of the total QRS in 24-h Holter were found in all patients. Conclusion Arrhythmia is prevalent among patients with ATH; the presence of arrhythmia is significantly associated with the grade of adenoid hypertrophy, platelet count, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure. Further studies on a larger scale and more investigations like pulse oximetry and polysomnography are recommended in patients with ATH.