The psychophysical impact of COVID-19 lockdown on pediatric patients with rheumatological disease.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020 and unprecedented containment measures were taken to limit its spreading. These exceptional measures may have an impact on the mental health of the population. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesize that children with the rheumatological chronic disease might be a population at higher risk of psychological distress. DESIGN: This study evaluated the psychological effect of social distancing in pediatric rheumatological patients and its possible correlation with disease relapse. SETTING: Pediatric patients diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) were included in the study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: They completed the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC-2) to assess anxious symptoms, the Children Depression Inventory Self Report (CDI-2 SR) for depression symptoms and a semi-structured questionnaire to collect their activities. Their parents completed the Children Depression Inventory 2 Parent (CDI-2 P). RESULTS: The MASC-2 test showed high values in anxiety factors. The CDI-2 SR test showed high values for Ineffectiveness and Functional Problems. The CDI-2 P showed high values for Emotional Problems factor. All the patients with high level of depression were females. The result is that those who take therapy were younger, have reduced values in Functional Problems and in Social Anxiety. 47% of the sample had disease relapse. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 period of isolation, in patients with JIA, there was an increase in anxious and depressive symptoms in female adolescents, a tendency to disease relapse, despite generally good compliance to therapy. Those under treatment were younger and showed reduced values in Functional Problems, Social Anxiety, and Humiliation/Rejection. LIMITATIONS: Limited number of patients to whom questionnaires could be distributed.

Acrocyanosis in a large italian pediatric series during the Covid-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV2 infection may present at onset with cutaneous manifestations as chilblains, pernio-like lesions characterized by rapid onset, itching, pain and tenderness and quick improvement with re-warming as similarly observed in primary acrocyanosis. The purpose of the present study was to detect in a single institution series of pediatric patients, during COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of acrocyanosis compared to previous period and an eventual correlation with SARS-Cov2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) infection or other secondary etiologies of this disorder. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the prevalence of pediatric patients with acrocyanosis between January 2020 and July 2021, compared to the same period of previous year. All patients were investigated with capillaroscopies, clinical and laboratory texts. Those patients referred to our Institution, during the Covid-19 pandemic were also examined for SARS-CoV2 serologies to find out an eventual specific correlation with this secondary potential etiology. RESULTS: During the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic we observed an increased prevalence of this manifestation. The analysis showed that the higher prevalence of patients with acrocyanosis, in this period, was not related to SARS-Cov2 infection. CONCLUSIONS: The acrocyanosis in pediatric patients is rarely associated with rheumatological diseases, being more frequently a primary disorder and strictly related to a sedentary lifestyle.

The Use of Antigenic SARS-CoV-2 Point-of-Care Test: The Italian Pediatric Real-Life Experience.

In Italy, during the second epidemic wave of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), rapid antigenic (Ag) test at point-of-care (POCT) station were employed to quickly evaluate large numbers of swabs. We collected data of all children who underwent the Ag test in our hospital. All positive patients were recalled to perform reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. A total of 2133 tests were collected over 1 month. Clinical data of 1941 children (median age = 3.7 years) were analyzed: 1343 (69.2%) patients complained of symptoms, 594 (30.6%) had a history of close contact with SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals. Among symptoms reported, acute rhinitis was the most frequent (67.9%), followed by cough (42.6%) and fever (31.5%). Among all tests, 95.8% resulted negative, 4.2% positive: 37/89 were confirmed. In confirmed cases, fever (56.2% vs 32.2%; P = .041) and gastrointestinal symptoms (18.8% vs 6.25%; P = .041) were significantly more frequent compared with negative children. The use of POCT for Ag test seems appropriate for SARS-CoV-2 screening in the pediatric population. In children, fever and gastrointestinal symptoms may constitute red flags of SARS-CoV-2.

Revised recommendations of the Italian Society of Pediatrics about the general management of Kawasaki disease.

Aim of these revised recommendations for the general management of Kawasaki disease is to encourage its prompter recognition and warrant the most appropriate therapy, based on ascertained scientific data, raising awareness of the complications related to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment. A set of 20 synthetic operative statements is herein provided, including the definition of Kawasaki disease, its protean presentations, clinical course and seminal treatment modalities of all disease phases. The application of these recommendations should improve prognosis of Kawasaki disease and prevent the progression to permanent vascular abnormalities, thereby diminishing morbidity and mortality.

Erythema Pernio-Like in Four Adolescents in the Era of the Coronavirus-2 Infection.

BACKGROUND: Although epidemic, novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection rarely affects the pediatric population. However, in the last months, an increasing number of Italian pediatricians have reported the occurrence of erythema pernio-like in children following a flu-like syndrome, after the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to report cutaneous manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in 4 adolescents. METHODS: Observational study reporting 4 adolescents with skin lesions, 2 weeks after the occurrence of a flu-like syndrome. RESULTS: Fourteen days after a flu-like syndrome, adolescents exhibited skin lesions to toes and feet. These lesions were rounded, with blurred limits, with a 5-15 mm diameter, red-violaceous- bluish colored, sometimes resulting in bullous lesions in correspondence of the central or apical portion, which tended to be covered with blackish crusts after evolution. Lesions were also accompanied by pain of variable intensity and evolved within two or three weeks to self-resolution without particular sequelae. In two patients, pharyngeal and nasal swabs were negative for SARSCoV- 2 infection, at the presentation of skin lesions. After 2 months from clinical manifestations, patients were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: In the pediatric and adolescent population, the occurrence of an erythema pernio-like after a flu-like syndrome could be associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Covid-19 in children: A brief overview after three months experience.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus - 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its related Coronavirus Disease - 19 (COVID-19) has become a health emergency worldwide. The medical community has been concerned since the beginning of the outbreak about the potential impact of COVID-19 in children, especially in those with underlying chronic diseases. Fortunately, COVID-19 has been reported to be less severe in children than in adults. However, epidemiologic and clinical data are scarce. Children show unique features of SARS-CoV-2 involvement that may account for the low rate of infection and death in this age group. The purpose of this review is to summarize the most relevant evidence of COVID-19 in children highlighting similarities and differences with adults.