Abstract

JARAMILLO, Juan F. Propanolol: a close alternative for the treatment of fetal supraventricular tachycardia. Rev. Col. Cardiol. [online]. 2007, vol.14, n.2, pp.117-120. ISSN 0120-5633.

Tachyarrhythmias are common alterations of cardiac rhythm in the fetus that may generate fatal complications. In general, when they are persistent, treatment is advised. The more used drugs for the treatment of this arrhythmia in fetuses are digoxin, flecainide, sotalol and amiodarone. Even though they are effective, its use in fetuses is based on mechanical and not in electrophysiological characteristics, with the risk of generating fatal arrhythmias or some of more difficult control. The pro-arrhythmogenic phenomenon and the secondary effects involve also the pregnant women. Hypotension and arrhythmias such as auricular flutter demand a compromised vigilance. It is important to consider a safer drug that may be useful in the simpler and more common forms of fetal tachyarrhythmias. Objetivo: to show by means of a clinical case and by revision of relevant articles, that propanolol can be part of the group of drugs for the treatment of fetal supraventricular tachycardia. A series of alternatives have been imposed with adequate results; nevertheless, these are exigent in its knowledge and control and definitely not exempt of risks. Our objective is to show that propanolol is still an alternative for specific cases of tachyarrhythmias in fetuses, isolated or combined with other drugs.

Keywords : tachyarrhythmia; fetal arrhythmia; fetal supraventricular tachycardia; propanolol.

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