Simple whole blood analysis can effectively demonstrate complex changes in inflammatory responses to cardiovascular disorders in adults and enable the prediction of adverse outcomes or diminished survival. Such inflammatory activation has also been detected in the pediatric population. Blood analysis results are repeatable and readily available, which gives the method an advantage over others. Inflammatory phenomena such as a high leukocyte count and an increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are related to a poor prognosis of advanced heart defects and worse outcomes after pediatric cardiac surgery in the advanced stages of the disease. Surgery-associated inflammation exacerbates these diseases, and the inflammatory response may further complicate the postoperative period. Simple blood cell counts and indices may be beneficial for evaluating cardiac surgery outcomes and cardiovascular disorder prognosis in infants and children. This review summarizes current knowledge on inflammatory markers in pediatric cardiovascular diseases and surgery.
Keywords: congenital heart disease; inflammation; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; surgery.