Palpitations and Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Arrest/Sudden Cardiac Death in Children and Adolescents

Palpitations are a common complaint, particularly in teenagers, with etiologies ranging from no detectable cardiac dysrhythmia to life-threatening dysrhythmias. Despite the fact that as many as 50% of children and adolescents may be asymptomatic prior to experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, the occurrence of palpitations may afford the opportunity to detect a potentially lethal arrhythmia condition. This article discusses the evaluation of palpitations in the pediatric population by focusing on the two most common life-threatening arrhythmia diagnoses that may initially manifest itself in the pediatric population with the chief complaint of palpitations-Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and the long QT syndrome.