title: Clinicodemographic features and outcome of acute myocarditis in children admitted at tertiary care hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myocarditis is an inflammatory disorder of myocardium associated with high mortality and morbidity. It is often difficult to diagnose because it can either be asymptomatic or mimic other illnesses. This study is conducted to evaluate clinicodemographic features and outcome of acute myocarditis in children admitted at a tertiary care hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of all children aged 1month to 16years who were admitted between 2005 and 2013 at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi and discharged with a diagnosis of myocarditis were reviewed retrospectively. Clinical and demographic features, management and outcome were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Records of a total of 62 patients with the diagnosis of myocarditis were reviewed retrospectively between 2005 and 2013. Median age of patients was 12.5months with 28 (45%) females and 34 (55%) males. The main presenting complaint observed was irritability (73%) and least common symptom was abdominal pain (23%) while the most frequently occurring examination finding was tachycardia (90%). Length of the hospital stay was 8±4.7days with 21 (34%) admissions in the ward and 41 (66%) in intensive care unit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most frequent presentation in our study was irritability, followed by difficulty in breathing while the least common symptom was abdominal pain. Tachycardia was the commonest clinical sign observed so it is important to look for heart rate and rhythm in a sick child with irritability.
authors.affiliation: Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan. Electronic address: nighathaider@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Nighat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address: Sattar21@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Abdul Sattar
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Shaikh
authors.affiliation: Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address: rehanawazir@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rehana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wazir
authors.affiliation: Agha Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address: mehnaz.atiq@aku.edu.pk.
authors.forename: Mehnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atiq
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Acute myocarditis; Clinical features; Demographic features