Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kv11.1

Title: Electrocardiographic screening of 1-month-old infants for identifying prolonged QT intervals.

Authors: Masao Yoshinaga, Hiroya Ushinohama, Seiichi Sato, Nobuo Tauchi, Hitoshi Horigome, Hideto Takahashi, Naokata Sumitomo, Yuu Kucho, Hirohiko Shiraishi, Yuichi Nomura, Wataru Shimizu, Masami Nagashima

Journal, date & volume: Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol, 2013 Oct , 6, 932-8

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24036083

Abstract
Neonatal electrocardiographic screening is used to screen infants with prolonged QT intervals, as previously shown in whites. However, this procedure needs to be confirmed in other ethnic groups.In 8 areas in Japan, an ECG was recorded in 4285 infants at 1-month medical checkup. A prospective study showed that a provisional criterion of QTc≥470 ms was appropriate for infants. To assess the validity of the criterion, all infants with a QTc between 460 and 470 ms were followed up. Five infants had a QTc≥470 ms. Four infants were diagnosed with prolonged QT intervals from follow-up ECGs. Four infants showed no symptoms and did not have a family history of long-QT syndrome. Two infants showed progressive prolongation of QT intervals, and medication was started. Genetic testing was performed in 3 of 4 infants with prolonged QT intervals, and it revealed a KCNH2 mutation (3065 delT, L1021fs+34X) in 1 infant. One infant with a QTc≥470 ms and 2 infants with a QTc between 460 and 470 ms showed a decline in their QTc values during follow-up. The study screened another infant with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome who was diagnosed with noncompaction before symptoms appeared.Neonatal electrocardiographic screening can identify infants likely to be affected by long-QT syndrome in the Japanese population, as already shown in whites. This screening may also be useful in identifying other important cardiac diseases.