COVID 19 e coinvolgimento cardiaco nel bambino – Children 2021
CARDIAC MANIFESTATIONS IN CHILDREN WITH SARS-COV-2 INFECTION: 1-YEAR PEDIATRIC MULTICENTER EXPERIENCE
Since the spread of COVID-19, pediatric patients were initially considered less affected by SARS-COV-2, but current literature reported subsets of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). This study aims to describe the cardiac manifestation of SARS-COV-2 infection in a large cohort of children admitted to two Italian pediatric referral centers.
Between March 2020 and March 2021, we performed a cardiac evaluation in 294 children (mean age 9 5.9 years, male 60%) with active or previous SARS-COV-2 infection. Twenty-six showed ECG abnormalities: 63 repolarization anomalies, 13 Long QTc, five premature ventricular beats, two non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, and one atrial fibrillation. In total, 146 patients underwent cardiac biomarkers: NT-proBNP was elevated in 57, troponin in 34. An echocardiogram was performed in 98, showing 54 cardiac anomalies: 27 left-ventricular dysfunction, 42 pericarditis, 16 coronaritis. MIS-C was documented in 46 patients (mean age 9 4.8 years, male 61%) with cardiac manifestations in 97.8%: 27 ventricular dysfunctions, 32 pericarditis, 15 coronaritis, 3 arrhythmias. All patients recovered, and during follow-up, no cardiac anomalies were recorded.
Our experience showed that cardiac involvement is not rare in children with SARS-COV-2, and occurred in almost all patients with MIS-C. However, patients’ recovery is satisfactory and no additional events were reported during FU.
Reference: Cantarutti N, Battista V, Adorisio R , Cicenia M, Claudia Campanello C, Listo E , Campana A, Trocchio G, Drago F. Cardiac manifestations in children with Sars-Cov-2 Infection: 1-Year pediatric multicenter experience. Children 2021, 8(8), 71.