Clinical impact of COVID-19 on Turkish children with neurological and neuromuscular diseases

Abstract

This study aims to explore the effects of new type of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in children with neurological and/or neuromuscular diseases A retrospective study was conducted at State Hospital of Denizli. Pediatric patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who were hospitalized between March 18, 2020 and January 18, 2021 were included in the study. Children were divided into two groups: those with (group I) and without neurological and /or neuromuscular disorders (group II). Male cases were more than female cases in group I. The difference between group I and group II was significant in terms of seizure (47.3%; 1.7%), dyspnea (36.8%, 6.2%) and number of days with fever (2.6 ± 1.9; 1.58 ± 1.42) ( P < .01, P < .01, P = .02). Hypoxemia (7, 11; 36.8%, 4.5%) and abnormal auscultation findings (8, 44; 42.1%, 18.1%) were more common in children in group I, hypertension was more common in group II (0, 8; 0%, 3.3%). Lung involvement of COVID-19 was found to be more severe in group I ( P = .04). The frequency of hospitalization in the intensive care unit ( P < .01) and application of noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) ( P < .01); the number of days followed-up in the intensive care ( P < .01) and in the hospital ( P = .02) of the patients in group I were higher than those in group II. It is recognized that children with underlying neurological and/or neuromuscular diseases are severely affected by COVID-19.

Repercussões da pandemia da Covid-19 na prestação de cuidados paliativos em pediatria

“…(Ward et al, 2022;Zhou;Cai & Guo, 2020) As crianças em cuidados paliativos são mais suscetíveis às complicações ou à maior gravidade dos sintomas causados pelo SARS-CoV-2. Em um estudo desenvolvido com infantes portadores de doenças neurológicas e neuromusculares, observouse que esse grupo apresentou um quadro clínico mais grave e mais prolongado do que crianças saudáveis, uma vez que eles tiveram menor resposta imunológica, maiores períodos febris e maior necessidade de medicação anti-inflamatória e antitrombótica (Okur, 2021).…”

Retrospective Evaluation of Postoperative Patients in Non-COVID Intensive Care Units During the Pandemic Period

“…Nöromusküler hastalıkların insidansını ise acil hasta grubunda elektif hasta grubuna göre daha yüksek bulduk. Bu durumun nedeni ise pandemi döneminde riskli gruplardan biri olan bu hastaların acil durumlar haricinde hastane başvurularının azalmış olması olabilir (11).…”