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

Objective: To evaluate the incidence and pattern of cardiac involvement in children postCOVID (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 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 intracardiac 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 the majority. Conclusion: Cardiac involvement post COVID-19 is often a silent entity and may be missed unless specifically evaluated for. Early echocardiography aids in prompt diagnosis, triaging, and treatment, and may help in favorable outcomes.

A clinico-etiological evaluation of neonatal seizures in a tertiary care hospital: a prospective cohort study

Background: Neonatal seizure is defined as a paroxysmal alteration in neurological function. The diagnosis of neonatal seizures is difficult to establish because of varied etiologies involved. The incidences vary from 1.5-3.7/1000 live births in term babies.Methods: Hospital based observational Study was conducted from December 1, 2016 till March 31, 2018. Universal sampling technique was followed. 93 neonates fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the study after consent from parents.Results: Present study results showed that 60.2% were males. Pre-term delivery occurred in 12.9% neonates. Most common etiology of neonatal seizures was birth asphyxia with 47.3% followed by metabolic abnormalities 32.3%.Conclusions: The most common etiology for neonatal seizures was birth asphyxia followed by metabolic abnormalities in which hypoglycaemia was the most common type. A significant association of seizures due to meningitis and metabolic abnormalities was observed with pre-term gestation.