Clinically Significant Arrhythmias in Muscular Dystrophy
Cardiorespiratory monitoring during hospitalization of muscular dystrophy patients with muscular dystrophy has allowed for some insight into causes of cardiac arrest in this population. A large retrospective study of the Pediatric Health information Database (PHIS) identified 84 cardiac arrests in 3363 patients with muscular dystrophy who were hospitalized24. An analysis of ICD-9 codes found that cardiac arrest/mortality rate was 5 fold higher (1% vs 5%) in patients with cardiac disease. In patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) encoded at some point in the stay, the rate was significantly higher, with or without heart failure. Risk factors for death were VT, inotrope use, and cardiomyopathy, as well as ventilator use, reinforcing the suggestion of complex cardiopulmonary interactions at the heart of death in this population.