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.