Pediatric Viral Myocarditis

At first, pediatric viral myocarditis symptoms may be mild and difficult to spot. Infants and babies occasionally experience a sudden onset of symptoms like:

Fear
Poor weight gain
Fatigue
Fever
Signs of infection
Low urine output
Rapid heart rate
Rapid breathing
Pale hands and feet
Cough
Shortness of breath
Swelling in legs and feet
If your child experiences any of these symptoms, visit a General Practitioner (General Practice doctor), who might refer you to a Cardiologist, for proper diagnosis and treatment to prevent further complications.

Young children rarely develop myocarditis. Adults and older kids are slightly more likely to experience it. It frequently affects newborns and young infants more severely than children older than two. A virus that enters the heart is responsible for the majority of infections in children. For example:

Influenza virus
Coxsackie virus
Adenovirus
SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19)

Because the signs and symptoms of pediatric viral myocarditis frequently resemble those of other heart and lung disorders or severe cases of the flu, it can be challenging to diagnose. The following tests may help the doctor to diagnose the case:

Chest x-ray
Electrocardiogram
Echocardiogram
Blood tests

Pediatric viral myocarditis has no treatment. Often, the inflammation of the heart muscle will resolve on its own.

Supporting heart function up until the inflammation decreases is the aim of the therapy. Hospitals admit a lot of kids with this disease. When the heart is inflamed, the activity must frequently be restricted because it can strain the organ. Treatment may include:

Anti-inflammatory medicines called steroids to control inflammation
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a medicine made of substances called antibodies that the body produces to fight infection, to control the inflammatory process
Medicines to treat symptoms of heart failure
Medicines to treat abnormal heart rhythms