Premature Atrial Complexes (PACs) in Children
Premature atrial complexes (PACs), sometimes called atrial premature complexes (APCs), are caused by activation of the electrical system in the top of the heart earlier than expected. This can be due to an early electrical signal coming from the sinus node or an electrical signal coming from somewhere else in the top of the heart.
Symptoms & Signs
PACs generally do not cause symptoms and are often only found incidentally during evaluation for other problems. Some patients may report feeling a "skipped beat", "extra beat", "hard beat" in their heart rhythm.
Diagnosis
Your doctor or healthcare team may refer you to a pediatric electrophysiologist (EP) or someone who specializes in children with heart rhythm disorders.
PACs are diagnosed when they are seen on a heart rhythm recording. These could include but not limited to:
- ECG
- Holter monitor
- Event monitor
- Exercise stress test
- Implantable loop recorder
- Smartwatch or other wearable cardiac monitoring devices
Treatment
If a patient does not have any other heart problems, PACs by themselves are considered benign and do not require any treatment.
Lifestyle Changes
There are no lifestyle changes required for patients with PACs.