Over the last years pediatric electrophysiology evolved as a consolidated sub-specialty of pediatric cardiology. In the United States, Canada, and Europe there is a clear picture of the status of pediatric EP but the situation in Latin America is largely unknown.
To give light to this question a descriptive cross-sectional observational study was performed. A survey of 25 closed questions was carried out, through an online form, made in the SurveyMonkey® commercial platform. The city and country of origin was recorded. Information was collected regarding the type of training, type of practice, monthly average of non-invasive clinical and paraclinical activity (i.e., clinic consults, 24 hours Holter monitors, exercise stress tests and tilt tests), available technologies, procedures carried out in their service and number of each one per year.
There are physicians practicing pediatric EP in 11 Latin American countries. Over 50% of the practicing electrophysiologists have specific training in pediatric electrophysiology. The scope of the practices includes clinical and non-invasive EP as well as performing invasive EP procedures, including diagnostic electrophysiology studies, radiofrequency and cryoablations, both conventional and using electro-anatomical mapping systems, as well as implants of cardiac electrical devices. All the current pediatric EP interventions are performed in most of Latin American countries.
The main conclusion of this study is that pediatric electrophysiology is present as a subspecialty in half of the countries in Latin America, and all the current electrophysiology procedures and therapeutic technologies are available in most Latin American countries.
Access: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10840-021-01008-9
Moltedo JM, Breton Pinto CO, Arenas Á, Cuesta A, Quezada Staub K, Xavier L, Alfaro Ramirez A, Márquez M.
J Interv Card Electrophysiol. 2021 Jul 16.
doi: 10.1007/s10840-021-01008-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34269953.