COVID-Linked MIS-C Cardiac Function Rebound for Children-Consumer Health News

Wednesday, January 19, 2022 (HealthDay News)-A rare and severe inflammatory condition called MIS-C can attack children weeks after recovering from a COVID infection.

But now there is good news for parents. According to a new study from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), children tend to recover completely from heart damage within three months of getting sick.

Dr. Kevin Friedmann, a pediatric cardiologist at the Boston Children’s Hospital who was not involved in the study, said: “Their hearts recover. Recovery is almost standard over time.”

Early in the pandemic, doctors discovered that children infected with COVID could be prey to a delayed side effect called MIS-C (“Pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome).

Children usually develop MIS-C about 4-6 weeks after COVID infection. This syndrome causes severe systemic inflammation that affects major organs.

MIS-C occurs in 1 in 3,000 COVID patients, says Dr. Pei-NiJone, a pediatric cardiologist at the Colorado Children’s Hospital. Joan is also studying the effects of MIS-C on the heart, but was not involved in new studies.

In more than 4 out of 5 cases of MIS-C, the heart is one of the organs affected by this inflammation, CHOP researchers said in a background note.

“The heart is the most affected organ,” said Joan, who noted that MIS-C’s decline in heart function can also lead to kidney and liver damage.

Half of children with MIS-C suffer from a decline in the left ventricle, the heart chamber that pumps oxygenated blood to the body.

“Symptoms range from no symptoms to severe hypotension, very ill children in the ICU who need a respiratory tract and heart medicine to support the heart,” Friedman said.

To see if these children would recover, Dr. CHOP compared 60 children admitted with COVID-related MIS-C to a group of 60 healthy children.

EKG Readings showed that children with MIS-C had a rapid improvement in cardiac function within the first week. By three months, they were basically back to normal. MRI of several children revealed no permanent scarring or damage to their heart.

Philadelphia’s findings are consistent with what Joan saw in patients with MIS-C in Colorado.

“They all recover after about six weeks of illness,” Joan said. “Of the 150 patients we saw here, only two had persistent ventricular dysfunction requiring cardiac medication, but after three months they all recovered and are now medication. I’m quitting. “

According to Friedman and Joan, children with MIS-C are usually treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. Your doctor may add heart medicine as needed.

“The faster you can control inflammation, the better you will get,” Joan said.

According to doctors, ultrasound and EKG scans are used to monitor the heart health of children during treatment and recovery.

Researchers in this study, led by senior author CHOP Cardiovascular Center cardiologist Dr. Anirban Banerjee, found that children with MIS-C should be able to return to sports within 3-4 months, Jone. Agree.

“All of these patients recovered completely in three months and underwent a stress test. They exercise to make sure their heart is perfectly normal,” says Jone.

Of course, there is one way to keep your child from getting sick with MIS-C in the first place, Friedman and Joan said.

Joan is vaccine related Myocarditis It occurs in 1 in 100,000 people who get a jab and 1 in 3,000 children with COVID develops MIS-C.

New study on January 19th Journal of the American Heart Association..

For more information

Johns Hopkins Medicine More MIS-C..

Source: Kevin Friedman, MD, Children’s Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital; Pei-Ni Jone, MD, Children’s Cardiac, Colorado Children’s Hospital, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora. Journal of the American Heart Association, January 19, 2022