Severity and Cardiac Involvement in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) occurs secondary to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. A retrospective study, involving 6 tertiary-care centers in Haryana, was conducted to evaluate the clinical features, severity, laboratory findings, and outcomes of patients with MIS-C. Disease severity was graded (mild/moderate/severe) and presence of cardiac abnormalities noted. Patients with and without cardiac abnormalities and with and without severe disease were compared. Forty-eight children with MIS-C were included (median age - 9.5 y). Fever (100%), gastrointestinal (83.3%) and mucocutaneous (50%) symptoms were common. Only 16.7% patients had previous history of documented SARS-CoV-2 infection/contact. Severe disease and cardiac abnormalities were seen in 47.9% and 54.2% patients, respectively. NT-proBNP > 1286.5 pg/mL and thrombocytopenia (<= 119500/mu L) were significant risk factors for severe MIS-C. Forty-five patients (93.8%) recovered and 3 died. Median hospitalization duration was 7 d (5-9.5). MIS-C must be considered as a possibility in any febrile child, even if a positive epidemiological history is absent. High NT-proBNP and thrombocytopenia are significant risk factors for severe MIS-C. (Trial Registration: The study was registered with the Clinical Trials Registry, India (CTRI/2021/09/036491)).