scholarly journals Severe manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 in children and adolescents: from COVID-19 pneumonia to multisystem inflammatory syndrome: a multicentre study in pediatric intensive care units in Spain

Critical Care ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto García-Salido ◽  
◽  
Juan Carlos de Carlos Vicente ◽  
Sylvia Belda Hofheinz ◽  
Joan Balcells Ramírez ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (MIS-C) has been described as a novel and often severe presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children. We aimed to describe the characteristics of children admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) presenting with MIS-C in comparison with those admitted with SARS-CoV-2 infection with other features such as COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods A multicentric prospective national registry including 47 PICUs was carried out. Data from children admitted with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection or fulfilling MIS-C criteria (with or without SARS-CoV-2 PCR confirmation) were collected. Clinical, laboratory and therapeutic features between MIS-C and non-MIS-C patients were compared. Results Seventy-four children were recruited. Sixty-one percent met MIS-C definition. MIS-C patients were older than non-MIS-C patients (p = 0.002): 9.4 years (IQR 5.5–11.8) vs 3.4 years (IQR 0.4–9.4). A higher proportion of them had no previous medical history of interest (88.2% vs 51.7%, p = 0.005). Non-MIS-C patients presented more frequently with respiratory distress (60.7% vs 13.3%, p < 0.001). MIS-C patients showed higher prevalence of fever (95.6% vs 64.3%, p < 0.001), diarrhea (66.7% vs 11.5%, p < 0.001), vomits (71.1% vs 23.1%, p = 0.001), fatigue (65.9% vs 36%, p = 0.016), shock (84.4% vs 13.8%, p < 0.001) and cardiac dysfunction (53.3% vs 10.3%, p = 0.001). MIS-C group had a lower lymphocyte count (p < 0.001) and LDH (p = 0.001) but higher neutrophil count (p = 0.045), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (p < 0.001), C-reactive protein (p < 0.001) and procalcitonin (p < 0.001). Patients in the MIS-C group were less likely to receive invasive ventilation (13.3% vs 41.4%, p = 0.005) but were more often treated with vasoactive drugs (66.7% vs 24.1%, p < 0.001), corticosteroids (80% vs 44.8%, p = 0.003) and immunoglobulins (51.1% vs 6.9%, p < 0.001). Most patients were discharged from PICU by the end of data collection with a median length of stay of 5 days (IQR 2.5–8 days) in the MIS-C group. Three patients died, none of them belonged to the MIS-C group. Conclusions MIS-C seems to be the most frequent presentation among critically ill children with SARS-CoV-2 infection. MIS-C patients are older and usually healthy. They show a higher prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and shock and are more likely to receive vasoactive drugs and immunomodulators and less likely to need mechanical ventilation than non-MIS-C patients.

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. e1-e2
Author(s):  
Sehar Parvez ◽  
Juliet Soper

Abstract Background While high-volume specialized Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) increase the survival of critically ill children, the benefits of consolidating PICUs to a single site may be outweighed by the need to transport critically ill children when the area serviced has a low population density and vast geography. Objectives This study seeks to describe the impact of PICU consolidation on mortality of children from the southern part of a Canadian province, after presentation to nearest hospital, following consolidation of PICUs to a single more centrally located PICU. Design/Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of children with a primary residence in the southern part of the province, who died between January 2008 and December 2017 after presentation to the nearest hospital. Children who died prior to presentation to hospital or did not have return of spontaneous circulation at any time after presentation were excluded from analysis. Child demographics, year of death, cause of death, and Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM III) score, and duration and type of treatments provided were abstracted from health records. Population census data was obtained from the 2016 Canada Census. Deaths were grouped for analysis according to the child’s place of residence within three specific administrative areas. Nonparametric Mann Whitney U-test was used for descriptive analysis. Results Eighty-six (86) children from the southern part of the province died following presentation to the nearest hospital during the 10-year study period. The observed population rate of in-hospital deaths was 6.8 per 100,000 children per year before consolidation and 8.5 per 100,000 children per year after consolidation of PICU services. Variation in the population rate of in-hospital deaths before and after consolidation of PICUs was observed between administrative areas (p=0.016). The data did not appear to show an association with urban or non-urban areas. Children who died after consolidation were more likely to receive pain relief (p=0.013), and palliative care consultation (p=0.005) than those who died prior to consolidation. No change in acuity at presentation to hospital or cause of death was observed following PICU consolidation (p=0.3). Conclusion This study did not find evidence of a change in the rate of in-hospital child deaths per 100,000 children following consolidation of PICU services in a Canadian province.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khurram Mustafa ◽  
Hannah Buckley ◽  
Richard Feltbower ◽  
Ramesh Kumar ◽  
Barnaby R. Scholefield

Background Cardiopulmonary arrests are a major contributor to mortality and morbidity in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors for CPR may inform national quality improvement initiatives. Methods and Results A retrospective cohort analysis using prospectively collected data from the Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network database. The Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network contains data on all PICU admissions in the United Kingdom. We identified children who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in 23 PICUs in England (2013–2017). Incidence rates of CPR and associated factors were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to estimate the size and precision of associations. Cumulative incidence of CPR was 2.2% for 68 114 admissions over 5 years with an incidence rate of 4.9 episodes/1000 bed days. Cardiovascular diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 2.30; 95% CI, 2.02–2.61), age <1 year (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.65–2.04), the Paediatric Index of Mortality 2 score on admission (OR, 1.045; 95% CI, 1.042–1.047) and longer length of stay (OR, 1.013; 95% CI, 1.012–1.014) were associated with increased odds of receiving CPR. We also found a higher risk of CPR associated with a history of preadmission cardiac arrest (OR, 20.69; [95% CI, 18.16–23.58) and for children with a cardiac condition admitted to a noncardiac PICU (OR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.91–3.98). Children from Black (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.36–2.07) and Asian (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.28–1.74) racial/ethnic backgrounds were at higher risk of receiving CPR in PICU than White children. Conclusions Data from this first multicenter study from England provides a foundation for further research and evidence for benchmarking and quality improvement for prevention of cardiac arrests in PICU.


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