Comparative Study between Incidence and Risk Factors of Major and Minor Infections in Early Post-Operative Course of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Single Center Study.

The main focus of the collection of abstracts is on pediatric health challenges related to COVID-19, postoperative infections, and ketogenic diet effects. One study found elevated serum vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) levels in children with COVID-19, indicating endothelial dysfunction linked to lung and kidney injury. Another prospective cohort study at Ain Shams University identified that major and minor infections after pediatric cardiac surgery were associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, central venous catheterization, and blood transfusions, with Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella species as common pathogens. Additionally, a retrospective study of immunocompromised children with hematological and oncological disorders reported a higher incidence of COVID-19 infection among those with hematological malignancies, accompanied by increased chest X-ray abnormalities and organomegaly. Lastly, a pilot study on ketogenic diet use in children with drug-resistant epilepsy observed transient increases in pancreatic enzymes without clinical pancreatitis.