The Impact of Time to Rate Control of Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia After Congenital Heart Surgery

Background:Junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) after congenital heart disease (CHD) surgery is often self-limiting but is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Contributing factors and impact of time to achieve rate control of JET are poorly described.Methods:From January 2010 to June 2015, a retrospective, single-center cohort study was performed of children who developed JET after CHD surgery . We classified the cohort into two groups: patients who achieved rate control of JET in ≤24 hours and in >24 hours. We examined factors associated with time to rate control and compared clinical outcomes (mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit [ICU], and hospital stay) between the two groups.Results:Our cohort included 27 children, with a median age of 3 (interquartile range: 0.7-38] months. The most common CHD lesions were ventricular septal defect (n = 10, 37%), tetralogy of Fallot (n = 7, 25.9%), and transposition of the great arteries (n = 4, 14.8%). ...