To investigate an association between surface electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters and sustained
ventricular tachycardia (VT) in children after repair of congenital heart disease (CHD), data were
obtained and analyzed in three groups (group I, 7 postoperative patients with episode of sustained
VT (4 tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), 2 double outlet right ventricle (DORV), 1 truncus arteriosus);
group II, 14 children with postoperative TOF not associated with VT; group III, 14 normal children).
Mean age at the onset of sustained VT was 129±77 months (range 60-232); mean age at corrective surgery,
44±33 months (range 10-102); mean follow-up period after surgery, 84±74 months (range 20-185); the
duration from repair to the onset of sustained VT, range 1-185 months. Compared to group II and III,
group I showed longer QRS duration (group I, 137±10 msec; group II, 114±22 msec; group III, 65±12
msec) and shorter corrected J to Tmax interval (group I, 209±24 msec; group II, 272±44 msec; group
III, 249±18 msec). QT and corrected QT, J to Tmax interval, and their dispersions in group I and II
are significantly different from those of group III. In conclusion, QRS duration and corrected J to
Tmax interval could be helpful to predict ventricular tachycardia in postoperative CHD.
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