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The American Heart Association has released a statement suggesting that clinicians can “reasonably” request electrocardiograms, in addition to complete histories and physical examinations, for children who receive stimulants for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It recommends that ECGs should be read by physicians with expertise in reading pediatric ECGs.
About 2.5 million U.S. children take stimulants for ADHD. From 1999 through 2003, 19 sudden deaths and 26 adverse cardiovascular events were reported in children who received ADHD medications. Causes of sudden cardiac death in children included cardiomyopathies, long QT syndrome, and coronary anomalies; ECG might be superior to history and physical examination for detecting s…