Incidental electrocardiogram abnormalities in children undergoing polysomnography.

Study objectives Monitoring electrocardiogram (ECG) is an integral component of pediatric polysomnography (PSG). There is limited data regarding arrhythmia and conduction disturbances in the pediatric population undergoing a PSG. In this work we present abnormal ECG findings during PSG in our sleep center. Methods A retrospective chart review from children who underwent PSG read by a single Sleep Medicine physician in the last year was carried out. Findings in children without cardiac disease and with first or second degree atrioventricular block (AVB) were compared to those from children with premature ventricular contractions (PVC). Results A total of 1,235 PSGs were included. Twenty-four children (9 girls and 15 boys) aged 2-17 years (median 9 years) were identified with arrhythmias or conduction disturbances (1.9%). Nineteen out of 24 of these children (79.2%) had obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (oAHI) > 1 event/h; this frequency was not significantly different from that found in the whole group of 1,235 children. No statistically significant difference was found between children with AVB or PVC. Seven out of nine children with AVB and seven out of 10 with PVC had oAHI > 1 event/h, while eight children with AVB out of nine and four out of 10 with PVC were males (Fisher exact test p=0.04). None of the children were found to have a structural or conduction abnormality when referred to cardiology. Conclusions Our study supports that ECG abnormalities are rare in PSGs of children and not associated with cardiac disease or sleep disorders but appear more commonly in males.