Symptoms of myocarditis in children
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Myocarditis, as an inflammatory disease of the myocardium, in most patients of childhood runs without significant cardiac symptoms, and often asymptomatic, usually benign or subclinical. On the other hand, in the syndrome of sudden infant death as a cause of death on autopsy, acute myocarditis is often diagnosed. It should be noted that children rarely make active complaints, more often parents notice a violation of the state of health of the child.
The first symptoms of myocarditis in children are usually manifested at the end of the 1st or the 2nd week after the onset of an infectious disease, i.e. Not at the height of the feverish period, but in the phase of early, less often, late convalescence. Against the background of extinction of the acute respiratory process, they are assessed as a complication, and at a certain stage they become dominant and determine the clinical picture of the disease. In this case, the only manifestation of the current myocarditis can be violations of rhythm and conduction of the heart, changes in the repolarization process on the ECG, without any subjective manifestations. For a severe course of acute myocarditis in children, a clinical picture of acute cardiac and vascular insufficiency of varying severity is typical.
In young children noted difficulty in feeding, excessive sweating, growing anxiety, agitation. In the elderly, weakness is detected, adynamia, abdominal pain, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, often syncope (syncope) due to sudden hypoxia of the brain due to low cardiac output or asystole. Attention is drawn to a cough that increases with a change in body position, rapid breathing without deepening in acute left ventricular failure and with difficulty breathing as a dyspnea in acute right ventricular or total insufficiency. Define the signs of hypovolemia (decreased venous pressure, collapsed veins, cold extremities, blood thickening) and vascular innervation (marble skin pattern with cyanotic shade, changes in blood pressure, weak pulse).
[