The Preventive Cardiology Unit of the Second University Pediatric Clinic covers a wide range of services related to the diagnosis and monitoring of pediatric patients with cardiac diseases, as well as the assessment of healthy children in the context of preventive cardiac screening.

Staff

The Unit is headed by the Director of the Preventive Cardiology Clinic, Ms. Marietta Charakida, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology and Fetal Cardiology, and her colleagues, PhD candidates Darilena Karaviti, Pediatrician with a special interest in Pediatric Cardiology, and Evangelia Grigoraki, Specialist Cardiologist with experience in Pediatric Cardiology.

History and Purpose of the Unit

The Preventive Cardiology Unit began operating at the end of 2021 in response to the need to monitor the cardiac complications of COVID-19 infection -19 infection in the pediatric population, with the aim of creating a reference center for monitoring children who have fallen ill in order to achieve timely prevention of cardiac effects after the disease. The operation of the clinic was supported by the Eugenides Foundation, which donated the special equipment needed to perform cardiological and vascular studies. Since then, the clinic has been performing complete pediatric cardiological assessments as well as specialized vascular studies (measurement of vascular elasticity and measurement of carotid intima-media thickness) within the framework of research protocols.

Clinical Activity

The Preventive Cardiology Clinic is open to the public once a week by appointment, while on the other days assessments are carried out on inpatients at the Second University Pediatric Clinic, assessments and monitoring of newborns hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of our Hospital or who require monitoring after completion of their hospitalization, and in collaboration with departments of our Hospital (Neurology, Diabetes Department) patients with corresponding comorbidities are referred for cardiological assessment. The Unit works in close collaboration with the Cardiology Department of our hospital, the Cardiac Surgery Department of the Agia Sofia Children’s Hospital, as well as the Cardiology Clinic of the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in cases that require further imaging (CT and MRI scans, electrophysiological studies, or genetic testing) and/or surgical intervention.

Research Activity

The Unit collaborates with centers abroad, specifically with King’s College London and the Harris Birthright Research Center, headed by Professor Nikolaidis, in order to organize the early detection of cardiovascular disorders in pregnant women and fetuses. Kypros Nicolaides, in order to organize the early detection of cardiovascular disorders in pregnant women and fetuses. Our Unit is currently working on five doctoral theses and is organizing the launch of a research protocol on childhood obesity and lipid metabolism disorders. In addition, the Unit has been approved to participate in the multicenter studies BAY 948862 / 21466 (FIORE) & BAY 948862 / 21467 (FIORELLO)

Educational Activity

Our Unit trains pediatric residents with a special interest in pediatric cardiology as well as medical students (5th and 6th year). In addition, we offer a 3-month training program in pediatric cardiology for cardiology residents as part of their rotation.