Chest pain – kids

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Vidu – it’s always a good thing when they can’t find anything to diagnose. 🙂 But I understand how chest pain can be concerning. And I can totally relate to your daughter’s symptom as it also happened to me as a young competitive gymnast. I used to train in gymnastics 4 hours per day, 5 days per week, and suddenly developed these random chest pains exactly the way you described.

In my case, it turned out to be costochondritis – inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs and the breastbone from lots of physical activity. It wasn’t dangerous, but it was definitely uncomfortable and scary at the time. It resolved on its own with time. Looking back, I wasn’t given anything, but my diet also wasn’t the best. My mom used to drive me to McDonald’s regularly after gymnastics because I was SO famished and couldn’t wait to get home to eat dinner. So, how is your daughter’s diet? Is it rich in anti-inflammatory foods with lots of different colored vegetables, fruits, healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, and good quality animal proteins?

Given that your daughter’s BP was elevated, there could be the possibility of dehydration combined with the stress of being at the hospital. “White coat syndrome” is very real and can temporarily elevate BP. So if you have a blood pressure monitor at home, you can track it at the same time daily to see if it was just a 1-off temporary increase or if it remains elevated day to day. Normal BP for a 9-year-old is usually around 90–110 systolic, so 120 is elevated but not dangerous.

Were any blood tests taken that you can share? If dehydration is present, that can cause a temporary rise in blood pressure by reducing blood volume and triggering blood vessel constriction, and it may also lead to muscle cramps or chest wall pain (like costochondritis) due to electrolyte imbalances.

Other signs of dehydration can include dry lips or mouth, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, or dark or infrequent urine. Has she shown any of these lately? Is she drinking enough water throughout the day, especially before and after gymnastics? Does she sweat a lot? You may want to consider adding in “sole” (saturated salt water) or an electrolyte to her water to help replenish lost electrolytes from training.

Hope this helps.

[Vidu]

Thank you so much. I feel a lot relived . I think it became hard for me to understand or handle for something as sensitive as chest .

She goes to gymnastics class once a week for 1.5 hours . But tries on her own at times at home. So even though it is not too much , it is possible .

Food wise.. it is pretty decent.. fast food is almost non existent . And they eat fruits and vegetables everyday .

Regarding dehydration- may be mildly possibly. But not really a lot . I will keep an eye on that though.

I have the BP monitor that fits adult size. So should I get any kids size ?

Also no blood work was done .

Thanks

[Bernadette_Abraham]

@Vidu yes, it’s best to get a child or small adult cuff to ensure accurate results. Look for a cuff labeled “pediatric” or “small adult”.

It may also be a good idea to run a basic set of blood tests (like a CBC and CMP including electrolytes) with her pediatrician when you’re back if she’s not afraid of needles. If you have insurance, these basic tests are typically covered.

[Vidu]

Hi Mrs. B- after Sunday she complained of pain this morning again right after getting up . this morning she also said it feels like paining during deep breaths.

So I took her to see the physician . She said it doesn’t look muscular, lung related nor costochondritis as she can’t feel any rib inflammation. As my daughter had fever a month back when we visited India and it was like a week she said she wanted to rule out heart wall inflammation. So she has given referral to pediatric cardiologist. She said an echo is needed and only cardiologist can do that. I don’t know how to wait and watch when it comes to kids . Is there anyway we can get anything done in canada faster? Or should I do anything else?

Also she said no blood work is needed and won’t give one . 🙁

Thank you in advance .

[Bernadette_Abraham]

@Vidu how long are you staying in Canada for and where are you located? Unfortunately the health care system there has become abysmal! My mom had a mini-stroke and 11 months later is still waiting for an appointment to see a neurologist!! Even when we offered to self-pay and not go through the Canadian healthcare system, the wait time was still unforgiving.

With that said, I would call the pediatric cardiologist’s office directly and explain the symptoms. Mention the chest pain, history of fever, and pain with breathing – this may help get her in sooner (hopefully). You can also ask the referring physician to mark the referral as urgent if they haven’t already done so.

But your best bet honestly is to go private, if possible. Some provinces or cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal have private diagnostic clinics where you can pay out-of-pocket for an echo. It will likely cost hundreds of dollars, but it bypasses the queue.

Given the recent fever and pain with deep breathing, yes, an echo is the proper next step to help confirm or rule out inflammation or fluid around the heart which can sometimes follow viral infections.

And yes, some basic blood work could also be helpful, even if it’s just to check for inflammation markers like:

• CRP or ESR – inflammation

• Troponin – heart muscle stress/damage

• CBC – to rule out infection

• Electrolytes – just for completeness

These can also be requested through self-pay from a walk-in lab. Depending on where you live, https://bloodtestscanada.com/ offers private blood tests to get around the system.

bloodtestscanada.com

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[Vidu]

Thank you , B! We have been here for the last 3 years and have been facing same issues .

Can you share the private diagnostic places at Toronto? I live in Mississauga. I am planning to go to sickkids ER . But if it doesn’t work , I am ready to pay as well.

Thank you!!

[Bernadette_Abraham]

@Vidu

I did a quick search to find self-pay clinics in Mississauga, ON. I would call them to see if you need a referral, or if you can can schedule an appt directly and self-pay.

1. Pediatric Urgent Care – Mississauga

Children’s Clinic

3885 Duke of York Blvd, Unit C107, Mississauga, ON L5B 4P2

Website: pediatricurgentcare.ca

Offers pediatric echocardiograms for newborns to 17 years old. Call to confirm availability.

2. Ontario Heart Center – Etobicoke

100 Humber College Blvd, Suite 207, Etobicoke, ON M9V 5G4

Website: ontarioheartcenter.ca

Offers pediatric echo and accepts self-pay patients.

3. Indus Heart Care Centre – Toronto

229 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5B 1N9

Website: indusheart.com

Private cardiology clinic with pediatric echocardiogram services.

4. Toronto Centre for Medical Imaging – Downtown Toronto

150 York Street, Suite 910, Toronto, ON M5H 3S5

Website: tcfmi.com

Low wait times. Call to confirm if they accommodate pediatric patients.

5. Ontario Diagnostic Centres – Mississauga

3950 Grand Park Drive, Mississauga, ON L5B 2C4

Website: ontdc.com

Offers echocardiograms. Call to ask about self-pay and pediatric options.

6. Trillium Health Centre (Cardiology Clinic)

71 King Street West, Mississauga, ON L5B 4A2

Public/private hybrid clinic offering pediatric echos. Check for self-pay options.

Hope one of these options work!

pediatricurgentcare.ca

Pediatric Urgent Care™

Pediatric Urgent Care™