Profile of Cardiac Involvement in Children After Exposure to COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence and pattern of cardiac involvement in children post-COVID (coronavirus disease) infection in a tertiary care referral hospital in India.

METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted including all consecutive children with suspected MIS-C referred to the cardiology services.

RESULTS: Of the 111 children with mean (SD) age was 3.5 (3.6) years, 95.4% had cardiac involvement. Abnormalities detected were coronary vasculopathy, pericardial effusion, valvular regurgitation, ventricular dysfunction, diastolic flow reversal in aorta, pulmonary hypertension, bradycardia and intra-cardiac thrombus. The survival rate post treatment was 99%. Early and short-term follow-up data was available in 95% and 70%, respectively. Cardiac parameters improved in majority.

CONCLUSION: Cardiac involvement post COVID-19 is often a silent entity and may be missed unless specifically evaluated for. Early echocardiography aided prompt diagnosis, triaging, and treatment, and helps in favorable outcomes.