Kurnool: A nine-year-old boy, Varun, from Gadwal, was brought to Medicover Hospital, Kurnool, on 3rd October at 5:00 am. The child, having a history of irritability and breathing difficulty, suffered a cardiac arrest while entering the hospital, and was then treated by Dr. Muraraji, Paediatric Intensivist. He was quickly revived with 3 cycles of CPR and adrenaline and was put on a ventilator.
Upon examination by 2D Echo and chest X-ray, he was found to have severe LV dysfunction (malfunctioning of left ventricle) due to myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscle). He was immediately shifted to the paediatric ICU and kept on a ventilator and administered drugs. The child’s condition continued to be challenging for the doctors, with 2 heart attacks in between.
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The child was treated under the continuous supervision of expert doctors led by Dr. Muraraji, Paediatric Intensivist, and the associated clinical team. The child was managed with the support of intravenous antibodies and continued other supportive care, due to which he showed signs of improved cardiac function and good recovery. On the 5th day of admission, he was weaned off from the ventilator and discharged later in stable condition.
Left ventricular dysfunction is the medical name given for a weak heart pump. It is identified by waking up at midnight with shortness of breath, chest pain, an irregular heartbeat, coughing and fatigue. It can occur due to myocarditis.
Myocarditis is heart muscle inflammation, a severe condition that reduces the heart’s capacity to pump blood to other body parts. It can affect any age group showing symptoms in children such as chest pain, fainting, breathing problems, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, fever, and rapid breathing.
Myocarditis is caused by infection from viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or autoimmune diseases such as lupus, sarcoidosis, etc. Non-infectious causes including drugs or other environmental or toxic exposures can also lead to myocarditis.
The majority of cases of myocarditis have been reported at 10.2 to 105.6 per 100,000 worldwide, and its annual occurrence is estimated at 1.8 million patients. Incidents of myocarditis are 1 per 1 lakh children per year, and it can affect even healthy children.
Few children with myocarditis develop severe myocardial dysfunction, requiring intensive care therapy with intravenous inotropic support and mechanical ventilation. Some children who don’t respond to these measures need ECMO support, and a lack of intensive care therapy can lead to life-threatening consequences.