Cardiac status in children with acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis

Abstract

Acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN) is the most common type of glomerulonephritis seen in children. It can affect multiple organs with heart being frequently involved. Yet, there are very few studies on cardiac status in children with PSGN and hence this study was conducted. All consecutive children from 1 month to 12 years of age, admitted over a two-year period with a diagnosis of PSGN, were included in the study. An electrocardiogram (ECG) and two-dimensional echocardiogram were performed in all patients on admission and repeated at six and 12 weeks, if abnormal. A total of thirty patients (18 males and 12 females) were enrolled in the study. The median age was six years. Prolonged QTc interval was found in 11 patients (37 %), of whom nine had hypertension. Seven of the 30 patients had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 2 and E/A ratio >2. LVEF returned to normal by six weeks in all except one patient, in whom it was normal by 12 weeks. Two of seven patients with low LVEF had normal blood pressure. All the seven patients recovered completely on follow-up. ECG and echocardiographic abnormalities may be seen in the acute phase of PSGN but are usually transient, returning to normal in most patients by three months. Although hypertension is the most common cause of cardiac failure, the role of primary myocardial dysfunction should also be considered