Effects of community-acquired pneumonia on biventricular cardiac functions in children

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) on cardiac function in children and compare the effectiveness of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) with conventional echocardiography in the early detection of biventricular cardiac dysfunction in children with CAP. METHODS: The study included 50 hospitalized children diagnosed with CAP and 50 matched healthy controls. All patients underwent cardiac evaluation including conventional echocardiography, TDI, and 2D-STE. RESULTS: Fifty children with CAP with a mean age of 5.02 ± 2.46 years participated in the study. Thirty-two were male (64.0%). LV systolic function (S) and RV diastolic function (E'/A') were significantly lower in the diseased group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The myocardial performance index (MPI) of both ventricles was significantly higher in the diseased group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). In patients with CAP, the mean value of two-dimensional longitudinal strain (2D LS) was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences in echocardiographic parameters were observed when comparing complicated and non-complicated CAP subgroups. CONCLUSION: TDI and 2D-STE demonstrated the ability to detect early biventricular dysfunction in pediatric patients diagnosed with CAP.