Question

What factors may cause premature infants to experience tachycardia?

Answer

Tachycardia in premature infants is quite common in the absence of organic heart disease. This condition may arise from physiological factors such as fatigue, tension, and unstable autonomic nervous function. It may also be related to diseases such as myocarditis, congenital heart disease, and rheumatic heart disease. Additionally, certain drugs like sympathomimetic amines, digoxin, and quinidine toxicity, as well as hypoxia, acid-base imbalance, electrolyte disorders (such as hypokalemia), cardiac catheterization, and cardiac surgery are all possible causes of premature beats. Statistics show that approximately 1%-2% of healthy school-aged children will experience premature beats.