A Quality Improvement Initiative to Optimize Follow-Up in the New England Area for Pediatric Patients With Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices.

Background: The use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) continues to grow. Despite the presence of implanted hardware, patient compliance with in-clinic visits and remote transmissions is poor. We performed a quality improvement (QI) initiative to assess and optimize CIED follow-up in the New England area.

Experience and results during transition from radiofrequency ablation to cryoablation for treatment of pediatric atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.

Background: Cryoablation has emerged as a new, theoretically safer, modality for treating atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). The purpose of this study is to compare procedural aspects and outcomes during the transition from radiofrequency (RF) ablation to cryoablation for pediatric AVNRT.

Methods: Data were obtained retrospectively from 80 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent AVNRT ablation from 10/2001- 4/2006 (RF n = 42, Cryo n = 38).

Psychosocial factors and quality of life in children and adolescents with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

Few data exist on the quality of life in children and adolescents with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). The objective of this study was to determine whether anxiety, depression, family functioning, and quality of life are related to cardiac illness severity in pediatric patients with ICDs. The subjects were 20 patients (mean age 14.