About This Course

Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are commonly performed procedures used to investigate acute paediatric presentations e.g., chest pain, syncope, and palpitations. They are performed across a wide range of healthcare settings from emergency departments to inpatient, outpatient, and primary care settings. Current medical school teaching tends to focus on the interpretation of adult ECGs.

Paediatric ECGs differ from adult ECGs as they tend to vary with age. There are multiple normal variants found in paediatric ECGs and this can make interpreting them difficult. In addition to paediatricians, a wide range of ‘adult-trained’ physicians will encounter and interpret the paediatric ECG. These include primary care physicians, psychiatrists, emergency medicine physicians and anaesthetists.

This course is an introduction to interpreting the ECG and identifying common abnormalities that are specific to the paediatric patient.

On this course, you will learn about what an ECG is, when you should perform an ECG, and how to correctly interpret an ECG.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this online course, participants will be able to:

• Outline indications for carrying out an ECG

• Use a structured approach to interpret the normal paediatric ECG

• Be familiar with common ‘normal age variants’ seen in paediatric ECGs

• Identify commonly encountered abnormalities in paediatric ECG

Designed For 

This course is mandatory for Paediatrics BST Trainees. It is also suitable for all doctors working in General Paediatrics, primary care physicians, psychiatrics, emergency medicine physicians and anaesthetists.