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Inherited arrhythmia

An arrhythmia is a disturbance in heart rhythm. Inherited arrhythmias are a group of conditions that run in families and include:

  • long QT syndrome (LQTS)
  • Brugada syndrome
  • catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPTV)
  • arrhythmogneic cardiomyopathy
  • hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  • idiopathic ventricular fibrillation

Symptoms

Symptoms of inherited arrhythmias can include fainting, dizziness, seizures or a rapid heartbeat. These symptoms may be worse during exercise or emotional stress. If not treated, inherited arrhythmias may cause the heart to stop beating.

Diagnosis

To diagnose an inherited arrhythmia, your child’s doctor may order one or more tests to look at your child’s heart. These may include

  • electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
  • echocardiogram

Treatment

There is no cure for inherited arrhythmias, but there are several treatments depending on the type of arrhythmia you have. These include lifestyle changes, medication, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or surgery.

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Meet our specialists

Chief of Pediatric Cardiology

Physician

Physician

Locations

Specialties

Michael Gewitz, MD, William Russel McCurdy Physician-in-Chief and Chief of Pediatric Cardiology



Pediatric Cardiology staff

Physician

Physician

Locations

Specialties

Fredrick Bierman, MD
Marise D’Souza, MD
Markus Erb, MD, Director of Pediatric Cardiac Intervention
Eric Fethke, MD
Bernard Fish, MD
Deborah Friedman, MD
Michael Gewitz, MD, William Russel McCurdy Physician-in-Chief and Chief of Pediatric Cardiology
Joseph Giamelli, MD
Henry Issenberg, MD
Supriya Jain, MD
Leif Lovig, MD
Rajamma Mathew, MD
Claire McMahon, MD
Christa Miliaresis, MD
Karen Seligman, MD
Julian Stewart, MD, PhD
Irfan Warsy, MD