Objectives: Junctional ectopic tachycardia is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia with atrioventricular dissociation that causes life-threatening postsurgical conditions in pediatric heart patients. This study evaluates the efficacy of landiolol hydrochloride for managing junctional ectopic tachycardia.
Design: A single-center retrospective study.
Setting: PICU at the university hospital.
Patients: Of 561 pediatric patients who underwent open-heart surgery between 2006 and 2017, 10 patients developed sustained junctional ectopic tachycardia and were selected for landiolol treatment.
Interventions: None.
Measurements and main results: Landiolol decreased mean heart rate significantly from 206.1 ± 14.5 to 158.0 ± 8.6 beats/min within 2 hours after administration (p < 0.01). Mean time to achieve 20% heart rate reduction was 2.1 ± 0.5 hours. Systolic blood pressure between pre and post landiolol administration did not change significantly (72.6 ± 5.9 to 79.7 ± 6.2 mm Hg). Once junctional heart rate was sufficiently suppressed, atrioventricular sequential pacing was introduced to stabilize hemodynamics. Nine of 10 cases (90%) had atrioventricular sequential pacing to maintain appropriate heart rate and restore atrioventricular synchronicity under suppressed junctional heart rate. Subsequently, eight of 10 cases (80%) were converted to regular sinus rhythm within 24 hours after starting landiolol administration. The average time to achieve sinus rhythm conversion was 7.9 ± 3.4 hours.
Conclusions: Landiolol rapidly suppresses junctional heart rate in junctional ectopic tachycardia after pediatric heart surgery without significant blood pressure compromises. Subsequent atrioventricular sequential pacing was effective at restoring atrioventricular synchronicity and stabilizing hemodynamics. Combining junctional rate control with landiolol and atrioventricular sequential pacing is therefore suggested as a promising option for prompt management of postoperative junctional ectopic tachycardia.