Pediatric Atrial Fibrillation: No longer just an adult disease.

You might think atrial fibrillation (afib) – a type of abnormal heartbeat – only affects adults. It happens when a glitch in the heart causes it to beat rapidly and erratically.

While afib is most common in older adults, children can have it too, says Peter Aziz, MD, a pediatric cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. In a recent study, Dr. Aziz found that afib occurs in patients as young as 13 years of age.

Kids with afib may feel a fluttering or racing heartbeat with associated:

• Chest pain

• Dizziness

• Lightheadedness

“If your child has these symptoms, see your pediatrician,” says Dr. Aziz. “If symptoms are severe or don’t go away quickly, get to an emergency room.”

The only way to accurately diagnose afib is with an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), a report of your heart rhythm. An EKG records your heart rhythm through electrode patches attached to your chest, arms and legs. But an EKG will only detect afib when it’s happening. For proper diagnosis, patients may be prescribed ambulatory monitors (portable/miniature EKGs) until their symptoms are appropriately captured.

“If a child has one episode of afib, he or she is likely to have another,” says Dr. Aziz. “While the symptoms aren’t typically life-threatening, we need to find out why they’re happening.”

Usually afib in children is due to another heart condition, such as:

• Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a congenital

electrical abnormality

• Cardiomyopathy, abnormal heart muscle

• Heart valve problems

• Other heart defects

“If there is an underlying condition, we’ll treat it to stop the afib,” says Dr. Aziz. “Rarely afib can be an isolated entity, with no identifiable predisposing factors. This commonly occurs as we age which is why adults are more prone to developing afib. When afib occurs, there are several treatment options including medications and catheter ablation.”

Catheter ablation is when a small, thin tube is inserted into a leg vein and directed into the heart. The tube applies high-frequency electrical energy, destroying the tissue sending the faulty signals. Patients usually go home the same day or the next morning.

“Arrhythmia of any kind, including afib, can occur in young patients,” says Dr. Aziz. “At Cleveland Clinic Children’s, we have the ability to collaborate with our adult colleagues that see afib often. This combined expertise helps optimize the treatment of children with afib.”

To make an appointment with Dr. Aziz or any of our Pediatric Cardiology Specialists, please call 216.445.5015 or visit clevelandclinicchildrens.org/heart

Peter Aziz, MD