In children, rapid heartbeats and other rhythm problems can cause palpitations, nervousness, anxiety, lightheadedness, fatigue, neck and chest discomfort, coughs and fainting. The rhythm problems can come and go, or be persistent. Medications are often used, but for children with chronic or severe problems, RF ablation is becoming more commonly used.

In addition to Fischbach and Al-Adhdab, the study's authors are Andrew Papez, M.D., a pediatric electrophysiology fellow at U-M, and Macdonald Dick II, M.D., professor of pediatric cardiology. The authors have no financial connection with Medtronic, which formerly sold the LocaLisa system, nor with the company now producing a similar system, Endocardial Solutions, part of St. Jude Medical.


The U-M Cardiovascular Center is a leader in RF ablation for both adults and children, attracting patients from throughout the nation for specialized care. U-M doctors have treated children as young as a few days with RF ablation, and perform dozens of the procedures a year. For details on heart-rhythm diagnosis and treatment at the U-M Cardiovascular Center, call 1-888-287-1082.

Note: The accompanying photo shows a colorful pair of images made using the 3-D computer-assisted mapping technique. It shows where the different catheters in a child's heart are located (green, blue and yellow) and where doctors have already applied RF energy to treat haywire electrical activity that causes irregular heartbeats (red).

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