Low-dose Epinephrine Infusion Tests in Adolescent and Pediatric Patients
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2012-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Long QT syndrome (LQTS)is a cardiac disorder that may lead to ventricular arrythmias and
culminate in syncope and/or possible death.
Recently, researchers have developed a way of discovering patients with LQTS by using low
doses of epinephrine by a continuous, intravenous infusion in adults. Epinephrine, or
adrenaline, is produced by our bodies in times of stress. By producing adrenaline, your body
allows itself to adapt to its stressful environment and take appropriate actions (i.e. fight
or flight response). By simulating this response with very small amounts of epinephrine,
researchers have shown prolongation of the QT interval does not occur in normal healthy
adults. However, adults with confirmed LQTS Type 1 (LQTS-1) will prolong their QT interval
when given low dose epinephrine. Therefore, this test can act as a safe means of identifying
adults with LQTS-1 who do not have prolonged QT intervals on their resting EKGs.
However, LQTS is not just a disease of adults, it affects children as well. Currently the
standard of care is to obtain resting EKGs on our pediatric patients which can miss those
patients with concealed LQTS. Those patients, who are old enough, can undergo exercise
testing. Yet this leaves young children unable to run on a treadmill without a diagnostic
test.
Hypothesis: The low-dose epinephrine infusion stress test does not cause prolongation of the
QT interval in an electrophysiologically normal healthy pediatric population.