We describe 5 children with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, hemodynamic instability and suspected acute abdomen. This form of the disease has not been previously documented. Four of the cases were confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and 1 probable. All of them were previously healthy and needed a pediatric critical care unit admission. The respiratory symptoms were not dominant or were absent. Also, fever was observed. Laboratory testing revealed lymphopenia and high levels of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin with d-dimer, ferritin and interleukin-6 usually elevated. Respiratory support and inotropic support were almost always necessary. In all of them, deterioration occurred on the day of admission.
Objectives: Spain has been one of the countries most severely affected by the coronavirus disease 2019. This study aims to describe a series of children admitted to a PICU due to coronavirus disease 2019 infection. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Tertiary hospital in Madrid, Spain. Patients: Children admitted to the PICU with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection, from March 1, 2020, to April 15, 2020. Interventions: Observational study. Measurements and Main Results: Epidemiologic data, previous clinical characteristics, support therapy needed, imaging tests, laboratory observations on admission, and pharmacologic therapy. Eleven children were admitted to the PICU, with suspected coronavirus disease 2019; the polymerase chain reaction test was positive in seven. The median age was 100.7 months (range, 0.5-162). Five were admitted from the emergency department and two from the ward. The Pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was 3 (range, 0-9), and Pediatric Risk of Mortality II score was 4 (range, 0-16). All children were previously healthy except one (allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation). Respiratory symptoms and fever were prevalent. A chest radiograph led to a pneumonia diagnosis. Not all patients presented with lymphopenia on admission. d-Dimer and ferritin were elevated. All patients needed oxygen therapy through a nasal cannula; five patients received high-flow nasal cannula therapy, which was later substituted with noninvasive ventilation in four. Mechanical ventilation was necessary in two patients on the first day of PICU admission. Two children required mechanical ventilation and inotropic support. Tocilizumab was applied in two intubated children. Also, four children received heparin. No patients died.Conclusions: On the whole, the children were previously healthy and are more than 1 year old. Respiratory symptoms were the leading cause of PICU admission, making respiratory support the principal therapy. Patients requiring mechanical ventilation showed deterioration on the first day of admission. These children seemed to require close monitoring, and multicenter studies are necessary.
Introduction
At this time there are still major questions about the characteristics of disease caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in children as well as factors associated with the development of severe forms of the disease.
Study design
Retrospective study including patients under 18 years of age admitted with SARS-CoV-2 infection from March 1 to April 30, 2020. Infection was confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or antibody testing. We describe the epidemiological and clinical data, laboratory and imaging findings, as well as treatment and outcome in these patients. In light of these findings, patients were classified into two severity groups and then compared.
Results
Thirty-nine children were included, with a median age of 9 years (range 12 days–16 years); 23 were boys. Cases with uncomplicated disease course (24) mostly presented to the emergency department (ED) with fever and/or respiratory symptoms without significant alterations in laboratory findings. Of the 15 children with a complicated course, 12 developed shock. In addition to fever, they frequently presented altered appearance, extreme tachycardia, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and/or conjunctival hyperemia. They also showed greater lymphopenia (
p
= 0.001), elevated neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (
p
= 0.001), C-reactive protein (
p
< 0.001), procalcitonin (
p
= 0.001), D-dimer (
p
< 0.001), and ferritin (
p
< 0.001).
Conclusions
SARS-CoV-2 infection in admitted children presents with great clinical variability. When provided supportive care, patients with predominant respiratory symptoms without altered laboratory-test results generally have an uncomplicated course. Patients with complicated disease present mainly with fever and abdominal and/or mucocutaneous symptoms. Most develop shock. Elevation of inflammatory markers may allow for early detection and the final outcome is good.
We present a pediatric case with COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) associated to multiple cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and venous infarction. Some cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism in COVID-19 have beendescribed (1) as well as ischemic stroke in adults (2). However, this is a rare case of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in a patient diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
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