OBJECTIVE: to determine the causes of ALTE (apparent life threatening events) in children referred to the emergency unit of tertiary hospitals and their association with clinical characteristics, recurrence and morbidity. METHODS: a cross-cutting study was carried out using prospective data collection from medical records, physical examinations and the application of special protocols for identifying the cause of the ALTE. Following inclusion in the study, patients were followed up at outpatient clinics to check for any sudden unexplained deaths. The statistically significant variables were included in a linear regression model. RESULTS: thirty children were included between September 2004 and March 2006, accounting for 4.2% of pediatric admissions to hospital over this period. The majority of the children were male (73%) and term births (70%). In 80% of the patients, the first episode was observed before the age of three months, predominantly in the case of those under observation (83%). Fifty percent of the cases were considered to be idiopathic ALTE, 20% were caused by gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) AND 10% by epilepsy. The follow-up data revealed one case of recurrence and one death. CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence, causes and frequency of these cases of ALTE are similar to those reported in the literature. The variables studied were not predictive with regard to recurrence of the episode, but specific treatment was a determining factor in control of the episode.
Epidemiology; Epilepsy; Gastroesophageal reflux; Sudden infant death
