Safety and Efficacy of Prophylactic Amiodarone in Preventing Early Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia (JET) in Children After Cardiac Surgery and Determination of Its Risk Factor.

Postoperative arrhythmia is a common complication after open heart surgery in children. JET is the most common and dangerous arrhythmia. We aimed to assess safety and efficacy of prophylactic amiodarone in preventing JET in children underwent cardiac surgery and to assess risk factors for JET among our patients. In total, 117 children who underwent cardiac surgery for CHD at Tanta University Hospital from October 2011 to April 2015 were divided in two groups; amiodarone group (65 patients) was given prophylactic amiodarone intraoperatively and placebo group (52 patients). Amiodarone is started as loading dose of 5 mg/kg IV in the operating room after induction of anesthesia and continued for 3 days as continuous infusion 10-15 μg/kg/min. Primary outcome and secondary outcomes of amiodarone administration were reported. We studied pre-, intra- and postoperative factors to determine risk factors for occurrence of JET among these children. Prophylactic amiodarone was found to significantly decrease incidence of postoperative JET from 28.9 % in placebo group to 9.2 % in amiodarone group, and symptomatic JET from 11.5 % in placebo group to 3.1 % in amiodarone group, and shorten postoperative intensive care unit and hospital stay without significant side effects. Risk factors for occurrence of JET were younger age, lower body weight, longer cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamp time, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, acidosis and high dose of inotropes. JET was more associated with surgical repair of right ventricular outlet obstruction as in case of tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary stenosis. Most of JET 15/21 (71.4 %) occurred in the first day postoperatively, and 6/21 occurred in the second day (28.6 %). Prophylactic amiodarone is safe and effective in preventing early JET in children after open heart surgery.