ARTICLE: Neonatal supraventricular tachycardia: Predictors of successful treatment withdrawal. American Heart Journal, 133(1), 45-46. The authors state that the purpose of their study was to evaluate six clinical indices (especially transeosophageal electrophysiologic studies or "T-EPS", to predict recurrent episodes of supraventricular tachycardia in infants and young children during the first two years following the termination of medical therapy for the condition. Other clinical indices examined were: the presence of a delta wave on ECG, congestive heart failure at diagnosis, recurrence of SVT during treatment, difficulty in controlling the initial arrhythmia and the presence of underlying congenital heart disease.
The provided background information highlighted the need for the study (e.g., the study was needed because there are no guidelines to help determine need for continuing medical therapy for neonatal SVT) more than they explain the objectives. Understanding of the intent and methods of the study would probably have been increased if technical terms had been at least briefly defined.
The methods were described in great detail. Descriptions included subject selection criteria, initial patient workup information, medical treatments given to patients, medical treatment termination criteria, and various procedures and equipment used in assessments with the clinical indices of interest. However, subject selection methods (sampling
= 858
= 3 (250 words per page)
