Sepsis Induced Myocardial Injury in Critically Ill Children

Sepsis is a dysregulated immune response due to infection, leading to life-threatening organ dysfunction affecting respiratory, renal, immunological, digestive, neurological, and cardiovascular organs. The prevalence of cardiovascular dysfunction caused by sepsis may reach up to 50%, and the symptoms may comprise vasodilatory shock, myocardial injury, arrhythmia, and sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy. (1) Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy occurs frequently in critically ill patients, but the clinical features and prognostic impact of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy on sepsis outcome remain controversial.

Cardiac troponins I and T are regulatory proteins that control the calcium-mediated interaction of actin and myosin, producing myocardial contraction. Since troponins do not occur in extracellular space, their appearance in serum is sensitive and specific marker of myocardium damage. They have been established as the gold standard biochemical markers for myocardial necrosis .

Elevated cardiac troponins levels have been detected in critically ill children with congenital heart disease before and after cardiac surgery.(2) Echocardiography is the cornerstone for the diagnosis of septic cardiomyopathy. There is consensus and expert opinion that every hemodynamically unstable patient should receive critical care echocardiography.(3) Improved understanding of sepsis induced myocardial injury is important for multiple reasons. First, cardiac function is crucial for maintaining hemodynamic stability in patients with septic shock. Second, by understanding the clinical features and predictors of sepsis induced myocardial injury, the investigators can discriminate sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy from other cardiac diseases and avoid unnecessary invasive procedures, such as coronary angiography, a risky procedure in critically ill patients. Thus, the investigators aimed to define clinical predictors of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy and assess the clinical course and outcome of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy in patients with sepsis.