The aim of the current study is to investigate the effects of CO (carbon monoxide) on the cardiovascular system via electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and biochemical findings in children. This prospective study included 22 children with CO poisoning and 24 healthy children as a control group. The CO-intoxicated children were evaluated via electrocardiography and echocardiography 1 h after admission to the emergency department and daily until their discharge from the hospital. Blood gasses, complete blood account, troponin I and creatinine kinase-MB(CK-MB) were assessed daily. Tpeak-end (p:0.001), QTc durations (p:0.02), Tpeak-end dispersion (p:0.001) and Tpeak-end/QT ratio (p:0.001) of CO-intoxicated patients were significantly higher than those in the control group. Mitral E duration (p:0.001), mitral E/A ratio (p:0.001) and left ventricle contractile fraction (p:0.023) at admission were significantly lower, and left ventricle myocardial performance index was higher (p:0.001) in the CO poisoning group. Troponin I and CK-MB levels were higher at admission in 6 (27 %) and 4 (18 %) patients, respectively. The heart is the most critical organ in pediatric CO poisoning. These children present subclinical systolic and diastolic left ventricle dysfunction even in mild cases. Although, in children with acute CO-intoxication ventricular repolarization is impaired, it seems to be reversible like other findings.

Background. Advances in neonatal care have led to increased survival of extremely preterm infants. Extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants, defined as infants weighing less than 1000 g at birth, constitute a significant portion of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients. The aim of this study is to determine the mortality and short-term morbidities of ELBW infants and assess the risk factors related to mortality. Methods. The medical records of ELBW neonates hospitalized in the NICU of a tertiary-level hospital between January 2017 and December 2021 were evaluated retrospectively. Results. 616 ELBW (289 females and 327 males) infants were admitted to the NICU during the study period. Mean birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) for the total cohort were 725 ± 134 g (range 420-980 g) and 26.3 ± 2.1 weeks (range 22-31), respectively. The rate of survival to discharge was 54.5% (336/616) [33% for the infants with ≤750 g BW, 76% for the infants with 750-1000 g BW], and 45.2% of survived infants had no major neonatal morbidity at discharge. Independent risk factors for mortality of ELBW infants were asphyxia at birth, birth weight, respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary hemorrhage, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, and meningitis. Conclusions. The incidence of mortality and morbidity was very high in ELBW infants, particularly for neonates born weighing less than 750 g in our study. We suggest that preventive and more effective treatment strategies are needed for improved outcomes in ELBW infants.

No abstract