Irregular heartbeat 9 yr old DS - anyone know anything about this?

[Solo2]

DS1 aged 9 was sent to A & E last night, after I discovered he had a v irregular heartbeat. I'd thought it was because he'd been on an anti-emetic or because of the recurring and ultimately horrible vomiting virus he's had over the last 2 weeks.

Two EEGs confirmed he had irregular heartbeats. They also did a chest X ray, urine test and blood tests. The urine test indicated as I'd thought that he was dehydrated after so much vomiting (19 times over one of the 12 hr periods). There was nothing of note from the chest X ray.

But the EEG TYPE of irregularity indicated he needed an emergency referral to the Consultant Paediatrican. It's obviously not an immediately life-threatening thing as they'd have kept him in overnight. But serious enough to merit an emergency referral. It doesn't necessarily relate to the virus and he's complained of chest pains before and irregular heartbeat, which I always played down and told him were inter-costal muscle pains...

Has anyone else had a child with a similar thing and if so what should I expect?

I am a single mum running my own business alone, f/t and due to return to work tomorrow after a 3 week break - during which we've all been ill for the whole 3 weeks. I haven't been to bed since last Thursday night because of nursing v sick DS1. He has a twin who is being difficult, as DS2 has Asperger's traits and is v self-focused.

I am trying to keep myself together and have phoned A & E to ask to talk to the doc about exactly what the heart condition is.

But I am finding it hard to act and feel normal in any way, keep crying, feel strange and like everything's surreal - which could be shock, lack of sleep or the fact that I'm also recovering from one of the nastiest ever gastric flus, during which I've looked after both sons alone. There is no one around to help.

Please talk to me about heart conditions and if there are things that can be done and have been done successfully for your own DC, please give me some positive experiences - eg if he needs life long meds or surgery - please convince me he is going to be OK and that he's not going to die.

[Solo2]

Bumping cos desperate....

[heartsnflowers]

Try british Heart foundation website.
irregular heartbeats can cause strokes.
good luck-don`t know much about it in children

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Solo - hello, sorry that you're worried. My dd has a complex heart problem so maybe I can help a little.

Firstly it's entirely possible that being ill has caused ds's arrythmia - if his electrolytes are off because of his vomiting and dehydration. When you go to his appointment (are you going to a paed cardio?)they'll repeat the ECG and they'll do an echo (an ultrasound of his heart) to make sure there's no structural problem. They'll probably do BP/height/weight stuff too. They may send you away with a 24 hour ECG to pick up irregularities during the day.

Whatever is causing it there are load of things they they can do. Try not to worry until you have more info.

Do write down your questions like Pixie says and don't be afraid to take the time to ask them.

HTH.

[Solo2]

Thanks. I was expecting to hear today from the Consultant Paediatrician about an appointment which i was told would be today, wed or fri but he hasn't called. I tracked down his number and left a message with the secretary. Hopefully DS1 can't be too much of an emergency if they're not rushing to make his appointment but for me it's also v frustrating as I want to know what's wrong.

I got back in touch with the doctor at A & E yesterday as well. He was v helpful and said that DS1 has Premature Atrial Complexis and a Short PR rhythm but ECG sinus - which I think means a normal basic rhythm with the irregularity imposed into this or something.

He said they couldn't say whether DS1 had always had this and/or why he had it but it might be indicative of something underlying.

He said he'd referred DS1 as an emergency but to a general consultant paediatrician - nit a cardiac specialist - so I assume this means that they're not signifiying the hear irregularity as the main thing????

DS1 has already seen this consultant about a yr ago because of his recurrent vomiting episodes but apart from ruling out tumours. cancers/ neuro problems - simply by some basic 'behavioural' tests, questioning me and doing his BP, height and weight - that was it. No one could say why he vomits so much and no further referral was done.

Should I be happy that they DON'T want to refer DS1 to a cardiologist - or should I be worried that they should be doing so and haven't? We don't know if his heart problem was caused by the virus and dehydration or if it predates this.

All I've found on the net about it is that it can be completely benign BUT can also lead to sudden death. So I'm not sure what to think now....

I'm going to phone the paediatrician again tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing any info. you have.

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Does he have the vomiting thing alot?

Have you considered cyclical vomiting syndrome? Google it and see what you think - but don't google the ECG stuff, honestly - it won't help.

Good luck with the appointment - let us know how you get on.

[Solo2]

saggar...he vomits v v freuqently but some of those times are clearly related to a family virus and some of those time to when he's not pooed for 2 days and some of those times for inexplicable reasons. When he was younger and still some times now, he vomited if he smelled something he didn't like , tasted something he didn't like or saw and heard anyone blow their nose/ saw snot.

Pixie, I've also consulted a family member with a medical background as well as then followed up by googling. Hard not to.

Just got an appointment now for DS1 on Friday morning.

He is slowly getting better from his virus and eating more and under ordinary circumstances, would be probably back at school on Thursday. However, I re-listened to his heartbeat and if anything, it sounds even more irregular.

Not sure what to do? Might phone the GP and ask their advice r.e wonky heartbeat and school. He's getting bored and home and spending the entire day from 8.30am till 2pm watching DVDs whilst I work in another room and constantly check on him.

[Solo2]

Thanks Pixie. The GP advised me not to let him do any exercise at all until we know what's going on, whihc is going to be v v difficult, as he's my v active child. He is devastated that I've cancelled his riding lesson for the second week.

If he goes back to school, he wouldn't be allowed to do sports or even run around in the playground. So I think I AM inclined to keep him off and close by to me.

The GP sounded quite worried which of course has now frantically worried me even more.

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Sounds like he has a very sensitive gag reflex Solo. And coincidentally initiating a gag reflex can restore a rhythm when a person is in SVT. dd has done this in the past - I can tell when she's tachy because she does this odd throat clearing thing.

Hope you get to the bottom of it soon - Iunderstand how difficult it is to send them offto school when you're worried. Do what you're comfortable with until you get a bit more info on Friday.

[sneezecakesmum]

Hi
Sinus rhythm is the normal pattern shown on a heart tracing (ECG). It is good that it his DS normal pattern. You can be reassured that they didnt immediately transfer him to a paed ward and keep him there on a monitor.

The superimposed atrial complexes dont sound too scary, it just means that the electrical impulses that fire off in the heart causing it to contract are firing off too many or too fast in the top chamber of the heart. This is the smaller chamber and nowhere near as dangerous as if this was occuring in the lower (larger) ventricles. It is treated with minor surgery or medication.

The short PR interval ties in with premature atrial complexes and just means that the rhythm is faster because the atrial node is firing too quickly.

Are you sure you didnt read that a long PR interval can lead to sudden death? There is an inherited family condition which causes sudden death but is long not short?

Of course it depends on whether there are specific causes of the heart arrythmia and they will look into this. Try not to worry too much but it is like having an iceberg in your chest I know.

[lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs]

i have the same thing, I have been under cardio team for a good few years for unexplained fast heart rates but now waiting to be seen urgently again as now irregular beats.
I dont think they are that worried about me, as they sent me home and told me I may be waiting 6 weeks!
They have told me its likely to be a misfiring of electrodes, but Im guessing they will do all their normal tests.
I hope you get some answers soon, but trust me they are very quick when they need to be, but please keep chasing it.

[Solo2]

Thanks everyone. Pixie, I have told DS1 everything I know about his heart situation - really that we don't know what's wrong but should find out more on Friday - which is when he has his appointment - and in the meantime, he must stay off school and not run around.

Saggar...what did you mean when you said that a gag reflex can restore rhythm when a person is in SVT?

Sneeze, yes I probably muddled up short and long PR interval. I'm in that befuddled, panicky state a lot of the time.

DS1 is eating more normally today but has spent 5 hrs watching DVDs and is still v tired. I've had to work upstairs. I took him to the shops and the school run and this helped and he's tied again but more 'normal'.

His heart still sounds defintiely irregular in the same way as before. When there's the interrupted beat, I can also hear a sort of squishy sound, like part of his stomach might make. Would that be the sound of blood rushing through his heart or could it specifically relate to whatever's happening at that v moment he gets an irregular beat???

One of my fears is that the Cons. Paed. will do exactly what he did the last time he saw DS1 last year and give him a perfunctory once-over, talk to DS but ignore me and then send us home.

I wonder if it would help to go in with a typed list of questions, with a copy for the consultant and for me and ensure he knows that I need each question answered?

One question I have is why does DS1 vomit so much/ get so many viruses that make him vomit? I briefly went through my wall calendar of last year and he has a vomiting episode - lasting sometimes up to 9 days of pretty constant vomiting night and day, every 2 months - ie 6 times last year alone. I remember last year as a much BETTER year in regards to his vomiting too, as the year before had been horrendous.

I know other camilies where the child has maybe vomitied only once or twice in their lives, so surely DS1 must be v v abnormal - or can this be typical of a 9 yr old to get 6 tummy bugs (some longlasting) a year?

Given his twin bro. gets about 3 to 4 episodes of early morning migraine headaches (occasionally accompanied by vomiting) per year, this means that there's usually no single month goes by without one or other of them being so ill that our normal life stops. If I add in me catching their viruses, I would say we spend more time sick than not and that 'normal life' is highly unusual for us - one reason I've never even begun to consider taking them abroad on holiday. It would be bound to coincide with a nasty illness and I'm on my own with them.

I expected this kind of life up till they were about 5 but they are now heading towards 10 and if anything, it's worse in regards to illness.

Might it all be because they were born prematurely (34 weeks and 5 days) and/ot are IVF babies????

[sneezecakesmum]

Hi

Saggars DD has SVT, totally different from what your DS has so dont worry yourself unnecessarily. Ds would never be sent home with SVT! What saggar means re the gag thing is vagus nerve stimulation. Also pressing on eyeballs, standing on head etc (I'm serious, honest).

Regarding the vomiting I've not got a clue unless its some rare thing caused by the vagus nerve which does weird things to the heart and possibly stomach.

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Solo - yes, if she has an episode of arrythmia she can restore it by making herself gag.

Definitely take your questions with you. It's certainly relevant to ask whether the cons feels the vomiting episode could be contributing to or a result of his arrhytmic episodes.

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

How did the appointment go Solo?

[lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs]

how did it go? I been told this moring I have to wear a monitor for a week!

[Solo2]

That's very kind of you to ask. It's better news - I think.

The Consultant Paediatrician was v nice and basically thinks that whilst DS1 HAS got 3 'abnormal' things about his ECG/ heartbeat, that these are most probably benign and not unusual in children.

I didn't fully understand the medical terminology but the jist of it was that if DS1 had shown some specific and different kinds of irregularity, then that would have indicated worrying things but the type of weirdness in his heartbeat is usually benign.

As the Consultant was a general Paediatrician, he said he'd check over the next few days with a colleague in Paediatric Cardiology - and let me know but I'm assuming that all's well until I hear otherwise.

He said it's OK for DS1 to do sports again but obviously if he faints or can't breathe properly, should be taken to A & E.

He didn't think the heartbeat was related to the virus, to vomiting/electrolyte balance or to coca cola (the only rehydration DS1 could tolerate). He thought it was most likely to be something genetic but benign.

I also discussed with him about how frequently DS1 vomits and took in with me records from the last 2 yrs (although it's lifelong) of vomiting episodes. DS1 had 18 episodes - in 2009 - some of which would involve say 15 times vomiting during one 'episode' and had 17 episodes in 2010. I told the Cons how much this interferes with our normal life and how I've never yet taken my DCs abroad as I always have to assume that DS1 will be sick at some point.

He surprisingly said that he didn't feel that this frequency of vomiting was unusual!!! Whereas family and friends tell me their DCs maybe vomit once or twice every few years maximum! I have one friend who's son has only ever vomited once in his entire life!!!!

However, he told me to return to the GP and request a referral now to a Paediatric Gastroenterologist. So there'll be yet another wait for this.

Meanwhile, DS1 is back at school yesterday - the first time he's been away from me for 4 weeks now! He's v tired being back but doing OK. He's eating normally and is more or less back to his normal self.

On the whole, I feel hugely relieved - and exhausted - but still without any real answers. the main thing is that the doctors don't seme to be v worried about DS1 and I assume they would be if he were really ill.

Thank you again for your continuing interest and support. It's so nice of you - complete strnagers on MN - to follow through a story with interest and compassion and really makes a difference

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Oh that's good news Solo. I hope the cardio confirms 'odd but benign'

I do think the vomiting is an unusual amount. I have 3 'children'(late teens, early twentys) and don't think they've vomited that much in total over their combined 58 years! Hope you get some answers from the gastros.