title: Myocardial injury in critically ill children: a case control study.
abstract: Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of myocardial injury in critically ill children through assessment of cardiac troponin T levels and whether levels are associated with disease severity and myocardial dysfunction measured by echocardiography. Methods. Over a 6-month period, this case control study included 50 patients admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Zagazig University Children's Hospital. Twenty-five healthy children were included as a control group. Demographic and clinical data including the pediatric index of mortality II score were recorded. Echocardiographic examination was done and level of cardiac troponin T was measured using Elecsys Troponin T STAT Immunoassay. Results. Cardiac troponin T levels were significantly higher in critically ill in comparison to healthy children (median 22 (18-28) pg/mL versus 10 (10-10) pg/mL, P < 0.05). Cardiac troponin T levels correlated positively with duration of ventilation as well as with disease severity and correlated negatively with left ventricular fractional shortening. Moreover, cardiac troponin T levels were significantly higher in nonsurvivors when compared to survivors (median 34.5 (27.5-41.5) pg/mL versus 20 (18-24) pg/mL, P < 0.05). Conclusion. In critically ill children, cardiac troponin T levels were elevated and were associated with duration of ventilation and disease severity.
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
authors.forename: Basheir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
authors.forename: Saed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morsy
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siam
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
authors.forename: Al Shaymaa
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdo
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Shafie
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hassaneen