ECG Changes in Children with Convulsions at Sohag University Hospital

Abstract

Background: Convulsion is a common problem encountered in the emergency department and represent a major source of  morbidity,  many children are admitted to emergency department and PICU with different clinical types of convulsions due  to different etiologies.  Frequent electrocardiographic (ECG) alterations are commonly observed during and following  convulsions, indicating that individuals  experiencing convulsions often possess significant risk factors for cardiac strain,  which in turn typically correlates with elevated  morbidity and mortality rates.

Objective: To identify electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in pediatric patients with various etiologies of convulsions.

Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based research was carried out at Pediatric Emergency Department and PICU at Sohag University Hospital during the period from January 2022 to September 2023. 12 leads ECG had been done to all children aged one month to eighteen years old who presented to the Pediatric Emergency Department with convulsions.

Results: 200 children were included in the study, 104 (52%) males and 96 (48%) females with male to female ratio was  1.08:1. The age of  children ranged between 1 month to 12 years with mean age was 3.75± 3.19 years. More than half of  children (58%) were between 2-10  years and the least group represented was between 11-18 years (3%). Consanguinity was  reported in more than half of children (57%).  Encephalopathy was the most common cause of convulsions in children (34%),  generalized tonic-clonic convulsions was the most  frequent type of convulsions (89%). A statistically significant distinction  was discovered among types of convulsions related to PR interval  (p<0.001) as it was highest in epilepsy. However, no  significant variance was found among types of convulsions related to QTc  interval (p=0.220).

Conclusion: QTc interval was not significantly varied amongst the various seizure sources. There was significant  variance  among various causes of convulsions as regard heart rate and PR interval.