Meryem BEYAZAL, Ganime AYAR
The Journal of Pediatric Research - 2026;13(3):247-253
Aim: Heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) is simply a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. This variation is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The aim of this study was to evaluate HRV parameters in children who were hospitalized in palliative care. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight palliative patients and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy control participants were included in this study. 24-hour Holter monitoring results were compared. Results: The minimum and mean HRs were significantly higher, while the maximum HR was significantly lower in the palliative care patients. Additionally, PR duration was shorter in the palliative care patients than in the control participants. Moreover, all time and frequency domain HRV values were lower in the palliative care patients compared to the control participants. Lastly, the low frequency/high frequency ratio was almost significantly higher in the palliative care patients than in the controls. In the analysis of only palliative cases, the mean root mean square of successive RR interval differences and the percentage of successive RR intervals which differed by more than 50 ms (pNN50) were significantly higher in those patients with tracheostomy, while the same parameters were significantly lower in those with gastrostomy. Conclusion: HRV parameters may provide complementary information regarding autonomic regulation in pediatric palliative care settings.
