Deep nasopharyngeal aspiration as a treatment option for conversion of supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia in infants: First experiences

Objective: Supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardias are the most common paroxysmal rhythm disorders in childhood. Atypical clinical presentations as well as their ability to induce hemodynamic deterioration imply necessity for arrhythmia rapid termination during the first months of life. The objective of this article was to evaluate the efficiency of deep nasopharyngeal aspiration as a potential vagal maneuver for supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardias termination. Design: Clinical trial. Patients and Methods: From June 2005 to October 2009, a total of eight infants, who were admitted at our institutions and diagnosed to have supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardias, were analyzed. To terminate supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardias "diving" reflex was initially tried and in the cases of its inefficacy, deep nasopharyngeal aspiration was performed. Main Results: Nasopharyngeal aspiration successfully converted arrhythmia in three infants (37.5%). Conclusions: Deep nasopharyngeal aspiration could be an alternative vagal maneuver for infants with supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia. (Pediatr Crit Care Med 2011; 12:e402-e403)