Journal of

Background and aim: COVID-19 infection can lead to significant cardiac complications, particularly in children. This study aims to investigate the relationship between cardiac complications and PCR status in children infected with COVID-19.

Methods: This research was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted on children hospitalized with COVID-19 at Hazrat Masumeh Hospital from January 2020 to September 2021. Demographic information, laboratory findings, and echocardiography results were collected using a checklist. Children with pre-existing cardiac disorders or other systemic conditions were excluded from the study. Additionally, echocardiography was performed for all patients hospitalized in the infectious diseases department with a diagnosis or suspicion of COVID-19. The children were then divided into two groups based on their PCR status: positive and negative. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22, calculating means and standard deviations for quantitative variables and frequencies and percentages for qualitative variables. Independent t-tests and chi-square tests were utilized for data analysis, with a significance level set at less than 0.05.

Results: The results indicated a high prescription rate for remdesivir, azithromycin, and corticosteroids among the patients, and a significant association was observed between cardiac vascular involvement and arrhythmias with positive PCR status (p-value < 0.05). A higher percentage of patients with aortic and mitral involvement was found in the PCR-positive group. Moreover, patients without tissue changes in echocardiography were predominantly in the PCR-negative group.

Conclusion: The results suggest that vascular involvement and arrhythmia should be considered as early signs for identifying serious complications in children with COVID-19. Echocardiography is recognized as a vital tool for identifying these complications, highlighting the need for long-term clinical follow-up to assess cardiac complications in patients with a history of COVID-19 infection.