Pediatric Cardiology Specialist Prof.Dr.Ayhan Çevik gave important information about the subject. Today, more cardiovascular system involvement is observed during the course of viral infections in children compared to previous years.
If the fever lasts more than 5 days, the risk of affecting the cardiovascular system is higher in childhood. During the course of infections, the heart can be affected in different ways:
- Affecting the heart's nourishing coronary vessels
- Affecting the heart valves,
- Affecting the heart muscle
- Affecting the heart membranes,
- There may be interference in the conduction system that causes heart rhythm changes.
Although the symptoms vary according to age groups, special attention should be paid to persistent fever for more than 3 to 5 days.
In infants, it can cause symptoms such as a change in diet, frequent breathing, tiredness or chest pain in older children. There may be examination findings that are asymptomatic and determined by the pediatrician (such as a heart murmur or arrhythmia).
While the negative effects of infections on the cardiovascular system in childhood can be achieved with timely diagnosis and treatment, if they are noticed late or not diagnosed, they may cause more severe clinical consequences in the later stages of life.
In order to protect the cardiovascular health of our children, it is of vital importance to be careful during infections, especially in persistent high fever with long sirens.
Prof. Dr. Ayhan Çevik said, “In case of symptoms detected by our pediatricians, it is very important to carry out heart examinations in a short time and, if necessary, detailed evaluation of the heart with echocardiography in order to protect the future heart health of our children.”
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