Acquired Heart Diseases Flashcards
What are the common types of pediatric acquired heart diseases? Cardiac infections
rheumatic heart disease
What are the layers of the heart affected by infections? Pericardium
myocardium
What are the clinical features of pericarditis? Fatigue
shortness of breath
What is the hallmark radiologic finding in pericarditis? Flask-shaped heart on chest X-ray.
How is pericarditis treated? Treat the underlying cause and use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
What are common causes of myocarditis? Viral infections (coxsackieviruses A & B
adenovirus
What are symptoms of myocarditis? Chest pain
fatigue
What are key investigations for myocarditis? CBC (leukocytosis)
ESR/CRP (high)
How is myocarditis treated? Treat the cause
antibiotics for bacterial infections
What is endocarditis? Infection of the endocardium and heart valves leading to thrombus formation (vegetation).
What is the most common organism causing endocarditis? Streptococcus viridans.
What are the Duke criteria for diagnosing endocarditis? Two major criteria OR One major + three minor criteria OR Five minor criteria.
What are the major criteria of the Duke criteria? Positive blood culture and evidence of endocardial involvement (vegetation on ECHO).
What are the minor criteria of the Duke criteria? Fever
embolic events
How is endocarditis treated? 1. Empirical antibiotics: Penicillin + aminoglycosides (or vancomycin if resistant). 2. If fungal: Amphotericin B. 3. Surgical valve replacement if needed.
What causes rheumatic heart disease? A late inflammatory complication of group A β-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis.
What are the Modified Jones Criteria for diagnosing rheumatic fever? Major criteria: Carditis
arthritis
What is the curative treatment for rheumatic fever? Penicillin (IM every 14 days or oral twice daily). For carditis: Steroids (under salicylate cover). For arthritis: Salicylates (100 mg/kg). For chorea: Haloperidol or phenobarbital.
What are the secondary preventive measures for rheumatic fever?
Penicillin prophylaxis until age 25 or at least 5 years after the last attack. Good dental care to prevent infective endocarditis. Amoxicillin prophylaxis before and after surgical procedures.
What is cardiomyopathy?
A non-inflammatory disease of the heart muscle affecting its size shape
What are causes of cardiomyopathy?
Infections (viral myocarditis), toxins (chemotherapy drugs), genetic disorders (neuromuscular conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy), vascular conditions (Kawasaki disease).
How does cardiomyopathy present?
Shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the legs/abdomen, dizziness, and syncope.
What is an arrhythmia?
An abnormality in the heart’s rate and/or rhythm.
What are common types of arrhythmias in children?
Long QT syndrome, sinus tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, ventricular tachycardia (VT)
