Risk Factors for Cardiac Involvement in Children with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2-related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Our study aims to investigate the association between cardiac involvement in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and the patient’s epidemiological, clinical, and investigative profile. Identifying such associations could facilitate the early detection and management of cardiac complications, potentially leading to improved patient outcomes. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a prospective observational study at SAT Hospital, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. It included all children aged 0–12 years admitted during the study period who met the criteria for the diagnosis of MIS-C as per the guidelines provided by the World Health Organization. Exclusion criteria comprised children with a confirmed alternative diagnosis, preexisting heart disease, and those whose parents declined consent for participation. Despite aiming for a sample size of 55 based on previous studies, only 50 samples were obtained within the study period. Ethical considerations were met and no funding was involved in our study. A well-structured pro forma was used for data collection. Results: Our study included 50 children aged under 12 years, with a median age of 7 years, and an interquartile range of 4.6 years. Of these participants, 54% were male, and the remaining 46% were female. According to the operational definition utilized in our study, 62% of the children exhibited cardiac involvement, while 38% had a normal cardiac status. In our investigation, the median values for C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were found to be 10 mg/dl and 60 mm/h, respectively. Furthermore, the median platelet count was observed to be 1.87 lakhs/mm3, while the median absolute lymphocyte count was recorded as 1472 cells/mm3. Serum albumin and NT-pro BNP were identified to have a statistically significant association with cardiac involvement, exhibiting significance at the 1% level. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that serum albumin and NT-pro BNP have a statistically significant association with cardiac involvement in MIS-C. Furthermore, hemodynamic instability in MIS-C may result primarily from vasculopathy rather than cardiac dysfunction.