Cardiac involvement and scorpion envenomation in children.
Cardiac complications of 32 children with scorpion envenomation, during a 1-year period from August 1990 to August 1991 were studied. Sixteen children (50 per cent) were diagnosed as having myocarditis; of these in four children the presentation was subclinical. ECG changes were seen in 63 per cent of children envenomed and was a sensitive indicator of myocarditis. Sixty-nine per cent of children with myocarditis had left ventricular dysfunction as shown by echocardiography. Though statistically not significant, there was a correlation between prolonged QTc and LV dysfunction, which needs to be studied further. In those children who came for follow-up, the left ventricular function reversed to normal.
Das
S
S
Department of Pediatrics, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India.
Nalini
P
P
Ananthakrishnan
S
S
Sethuraman
K R
KR
Balachander
J
J
Srinivasan
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D065008:Scorpion Stings / Q000150:complications*; D012605:Scorpions; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology