It is possible for children to develop a rapid heartbeat in some cases, so we provide you here with the treatment of a rapid heartbeat in children and the most important information related to it.
Learn with us about the treatment of tachycardia in children and everything related to this health condition in this article:
What is the treatment for tachycardia in children?
In general, children with tachycardia are not considered life-threatening or dangerous, and doctors treat tachycardia in children through one of the following methods:
1. Vagal maneuvers
It stimulates and increases the number of messages that the brain sends to the heart in order to slow its work through the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve maneuver can be done in several ways. Older children may choose the most appropriate method for them, including:
Blow on the thumb, making sure to blow directly on the finger.
The bending of the upper part of the body downwards, as in the process of defecation.
Putting ice cubes on the face while holding the breath.
Try to stand on the head.
It is worth noting that if these steps do not work and the heart rate continues for more than 45 minutes, you should go to the emergency room to get medical help immediately.
2. Medications
In the hospital, doctors give the child intravenous medication that helps return the heart rhythm to normal. Among the most important of these therapeutic drugs used in the treatment of tachycardia are beta-blockers that contribute to lowering the heart rate.
Sometimes these medicines may cause some side effects, so the child should consult a doctor regularly.
3. Catheter Ablation
This treatment, or what is known as catheter ablation, is performed after anesthetizing the child, where a thin, flexible plastic tube is ed into a blood vessel from the foot to the heart. This tube uses heat energy to eliminate the tissues that cause the heart rate to accelerate in the heart muscle.
In rare cases, the child may not respond to these treatments, and in the event of severe symptoms, the doctor may perform electrical cardioversion.
How is this condition diagnosed?
After we learned about the treatment of tachycardia in children, we present to you how to diagnose this condition.
In the event that the doctor suspects that the child''s heartbeat is accelerating, he will be asked to undergo an electrocardiogram, as this examination records the electrical activity of the heart. The doctor may also request an ultrasound examination to obtain pictures of the heart''s movement.
Note: In some cases, the child may be diagnosed with a rapid heartbeat while he is in the mother’s womb, so the doctor prescribes a medication that helps reduce her and the fetus’s heart rate.
Information about the baby''s normal heart rate
In general, the normal adult human heart rate ranges from 60-100 beats per minute, but for children under two years old, their normal heart rate is higher than that of adults, because their body metabolism is faster.
As children get older, their heart rates decrease and by about adolescence their heart rates become similar to those of adults.
When you have a tachycardia, this means that the infant''s heart rate is more than 220 beats per minute, and their breathing rate may be higher.
