Telemedicine saves 3-year-old child after 25-second cardiac arrest

Telemedicine technology played a critical role in saving a 3-year-old child in Naples, Italy, after a loop recorder detected a 25-second episode of asystole. The child had been experiencing frequent loss of consciousness.

Three months prior, a medical team led by Giangiacomo Di Nardo at AORN Santobono Pausilipon IRCCS implanted a state-of-the-art loop recorder to continuously monitor the child's electrical heart activity. The device transmitted data remotely, allowing cardiologists to identify the life-threatening pause in heart activity that might have otherwise gone undetected during routine visits.

Following the diagnosis, the child was transferred to Monaldi for pediatric cardiac surgery. Specialists, including cardiosurgeon Sergio Filippelli, performed the implantation of an epicardial pacemaker, a device specifically indicated for certain pediatric clinical conditions.