Not for the faint-hearted: why some kids blackout playing video games – The Age

For a small group of children with pre-existing cardiac conditions, the excitement and adrenalin rush of video-gaming could send their hearts racing in abnormal and potentially dangerous rhythms, causing blackouts.

A group of Australian and New Zealand cardiologists reported three such cases- including Nedals - in the New England Journal of Medicine last week.

Nedal, now 11 years old, and his father Walid Chemaisse.Credit:Wolter Peeters

The fainting spells may be the first sign that these otherwise healthy children and teenagers have these rare, potentially life-threatening heart problems.

Co-author and cardiologist at Westmead Childrens Hospital Dr Christian Turner said most of the blacking-out episodes happened just as the games reached their intense crescendo.

Ive seen my own kids play these games and they get really excited, Dr Turner said. Their heart rates speed up and theres a lot of adrenalin in their bodies and for children with these underlying heart rhythm problems this can cause blackouts.

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Its the same phenomenon that causes young people to suddenly drop to the ground unconscious on the sports or athletic field with no warning. Their hidden genetic or structural heart disorders coupled with intense physical exertion putting them at risk of sudden cardiac death.

Blackouts during a video game could be a warning sign that they may have one of these inherited conditions, Dr Turner said.

Nedals heart condition was only picked up in September last year when a massive bolt of adrenalin from an epipen stopped his heart. The very device that could save his life if his peanut allergy triggered anaphylaxis had caused cardiac arrest.

He was revived and rushed to Westmead Childrens Hospital where he was diagnosed with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). Genetic testing confirmed he had a mutation linked to the condition.

Dr Turner stressed that only a very small group of children may be at risk. Roughly one in 10,000 people have CPVT and an estimated one in 2500 have long-QT syndrome, another heart condition linked to sudden cardiac death in young people.

But unexplained blackouts should be a red flag to see a doctor who could take a family history and determine whether its a harmless episode or something more serious.

Dr Turner cautioned against barring these children from playing sport or the games that they loved.

We want these kids to stay active, but in a safe way, Dr Turner said. Its really important to their brain and heart health.

Nedal Chemaisse now has an implantable defibrillator and takes beta-blockers to keep him safe.Credit:Wolter Peeters

Professor Christopher Semsarian, cardiologist and head of the Centenary Institutes Molecular Cardiology Program said the findings would help researchers better understand the triggers for these conditions.

I would tell my patients to limit the time they play video games but to remember the incidence of a bad event is very rare, Dr Semsarian said.

Nedal now has an implantable defibrillator to jump-start his heart if it ever stops, and he takes beta-blocker medication to regulate his heartbeat.

Weve done away with video games, Mr Chemaisse said. The PlayStation had to go.

Kate Aubusson is Health Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.

Originally posted here:

Not for the faint-hearted: why some kids blackout playing video games - The Age