Focus on Clinical Management in Pediatric Electrophysiology

The upcoming Sixth Charleston Symposium on Pediatric Electrophysiology: Focus on Clinical Management will take place December 11-13 at the Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms/Charleston, in South Carolina. This article provides an overview of what to expect at the meeting.

The Divisions of Pediatric Cardiology of the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, South Carolina, and of the Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany, will organize for the sixth time the Charleston Symposium on Pediatric Electrophysiology with its focus on clinical management. Pediatric electrophysiologists, fellows in training for pediatric electrophysiology and pediatric cardiology, adult cardiologists with a focus on congenital heart defects, and allied professionals will all benefit from the program content.

Course Overview

This course will focus on clinical management of various types of arrhythmias encountered in the pediatric patient and young adult with and without congenital heart disease. Presentations will update attendees on development, diagnostic, pharmacological, interventional, and device issues in young patients with significant arrhythmias. In order to highlight each of the clinical problems, case presentations have been included in each section to allow in-depth discussion with opinion leaders in the particular field. A session will be devoted to the management of electrical and structural cardiomyopathies, an always demanding problem in our daily practice. This session on electrical myopathies, many of which have a genetic basis, will be of particular interest to pediatric and adult caregivers, extending their reach beyond the traditional role of the electrophysiologist. The organizers are very proud to have both Drs. Michael Ackerman and Jeffrey Towbin on the faculty, who will discuss state-of-the-art technology for diagnosing and managing our pediatric patients with these diseases, and will be available during discussions.

Location

The Charleston Symposium will be held at Wild Dunes Resort, 30 minutes from Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is a historic city by the sea. Its charm and grace has attracted international acclaim, in addition to its cuisine, architecture, culture and gentility. Wild Dunes Resort has been distinguished by many publications and associations as a top destination for families, couples, golfers, and tennis lovers. Average daytime temperature in early December is 65 degrees.

Educational Objectives

At the end of the program, participants should be able to:

• Enhance decision making criteria for commonly encountered arrhythmias in the pediatric patient with ablation as an option
• Develop management strategies for electrical and structural cardiomyopathies, including the value of genetic testing, risk assessment and the treatment appropriate for the individual patient 
• Evaluate and select techniques for implantation of pacemakers and ICDs in the small child and in the patient with complex congenital heart disease 
• Assess the role of cardiac resynchronization therapy in the patient with and without congenital heart disease 
• Develop management strategies for early postoperative tachyarrhythmias and atrial fibrillation in the young as well as the risk stratification for patients with late ventricular arrhythmias.

Course Directors

The program co-chairs are Thomas Paul, MD and J. Philip Saul, MD. Dr. Paul is Director of Pediatric Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine at Georg-August-University in Göttingen, Germany. Dr. Saul is Director of The Children’s Heart Program at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Faculty

Faculty are highly-qualified and well-known specialists in their areas of expertise, and will include: Michael Ackerman from the Mayo Clinic; Robert Campbell from Emory University in Atlanta; Alpay Celiker from Acibadem University in Istanbul, Turkey; Jan Janousek from Cardiocentrum in Prague, Czech Republic; Michael Silka from the University of Southern California; Jeffrey Towbin from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital; John Triedman and Edward Walsh from Children’s Hospital in Boston; and Marcus Wharton, Adult Cardiology from MUSC in Charleston.

CME Accreditation

The Medical University of South Carolina is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Medical University of South Carolina designates this educational activity for a maximum of 16.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. The Medical University of South Carolina designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.6 CEUs (16.5 contact hours). The CEU (Continuing Education Unit) is a nationally recognized unit of measure for continuing education and training activities that meet specific educational planning requirements.

Registration

Registration for this symposium is available online at https://clinicaldepartments.musc.edu/pediatrics/divisions/cardiology/cme_conferences

Hotel Reservations

To make reservations, contact Wild Dunes Resort at 800-845-8880 or online go to https://www.wilddunes.com. Refer to the reservation Group Code: MPC1WD.

For more information, please visit: https://clinicaldepartments.musc.edu/pediatrics/divisions/cardiology/cme_conferences or contact Debbie Bryant at
843-792-3286 or bryantd@musc.edu.