Evaluation of Clinical, Biochemical, and Demographic Characteristics of Paediatric COVID-19 Patients Admitted to Dicle University Hospital.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: In this study, we aim to determine how laboratory parameters were related to the clinical courses of patients admitted to the Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Department of Paediatrics and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit with COVID-19 diagnoses from March 2020 to November 2021. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Clinical, biochemical and demographic characteristics of 220 patients between 0 and 16 years old with COVID-19 diagnoses at admission were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: We found that 57.3% of patients were male and 42.7% female, with a mean age of 107.8 ± 65.5 (range 1-192) months. Of the cases, 48.6% (n = 107) were asymptomatic, 35.5% (n = 78) were mild, 11.8% (n = 26) were moderately severe and 3.6% (n = 8) were severe. The patients' site of admission, mortality rates, C reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin, and fibrinogen levels differed significantly (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: It is important to learn about the clinical course of the disease by accurately interpreting the results of blood parameters and appropriate imaging studies.

Çocuklarda COVÍD-19 ve Yoğun Bakım Yönetimi

The disease is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). [...]the virus has affected more than 200 countries worldwide and caused a global pandemic. In this review, we planned to present the followup and treatment of critical COVID-19 pediatric patients in the light of current guidelines. Aerosol üreten uygulamalaryüksek riskli oluǧu için bu uygulamalar mümkün oldukça minumuma indirilmelidir (Tablo 1).

Evaluation of Hematological Parameters of Children Diagnosed with COVID-19: Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE: Although many pediatric studies on children infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been published, the diagnosis, clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and treatment of COVID-19 in children are still unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted with an aim to examine the hematological findings of symptomatic pediatric patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in May 2020 at the Pandemic Hospital in Dicle University. Patient records were evaluated retrospectively. This study involved 59 symptomatic pediatric patients with a definite diagnosis of COVID-19 who had positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test results on nasopharyngeal swab between March 15, 2020 and May 31, 2020. RESULTS: The records of a total of 10 (16.9%) patients under the age of 1; 21 (35.6%) patients aged 1-10 years, and, 28 (47.5%) patients aged 10-18 years, who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 were evaluated. Based on severity, 35 (59.3%) patients were in the mild group (group 1) and 24 (40.7%) patients were in the moderate-severe group (group 2). The blood parameters of WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, and thrombocyte counts, the hemoglobin (Hgb) level, and NLR, PLR, MPV, fibrinogen, ferritin, and D-dimer levels were compared between groups, the difference was not statistically significant (P > .05). LDH was higher in group 2 (P = .014). CONCLUSION: Since children infected with COVID-19 show mild clinical symptoms or are asymptomatic, fewer pediatric patients may be detected than adults. Therefore, it should be known that the laboratory findings typical for adults may not accompany the disease in pediatric cases. More studies are needed to determine the most appropriate COVID-19 treatment approach for children, as hospitalization history and testing rates are less reported among children.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: A single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: This case series aims to evaluate the presenting symptoms, laboratory data, systemic findings, and response to early treatment in patients who were followed up with the diagnosis of multisystemic inflammatory syndrome associated with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: The presentation, laboratory findings, and responses to treatment of patients hospitalized and diagnosed with multisystemic inflammatory syndrome were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients were included in the study. The median age was 90 (1.5-204) months and 62.5% of the patients were male; 59.4% of the cases were non-specific disease, 31.2% typical (complete) Kawasaki, and 9.4% had phenotypic characteristics of atypical (incomplete) Kawasaki. Most of the patients were found to have low albumin and elevated C-reactive protein, sedimentation rate, and d-dimer, and all patients had elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and procalcitonin. Lymphopenia was detected in 25 patients (78.1%) and serum ferritin levels were elevated in 25 patients (78.1%). Eleven (34.4%) patients responded well only to intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. Twenty patients (62.5%) received intravenous immunoglobulin and steroid therapy (second-line therapy). Only one patient (3.1%) received third-line therapy (intravenous immunoglobulin + steroid +anakinra + plasmapheresis). None of the patients died. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients had mild clinical symptoms and responded well to intravenous immunoglobulin and / or steroid therapies as first- and second-line therapies. Only one of our patients was clinically stabilized after third-line treatment because he did not respond to intravenous immunoglobulin and steroid therapy. We think that all of our patients diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children recovered because we had recommended quickly medical intervention. Treatment should therefore be started immediately in patients diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. If there is no response after 24 h to the initial treatment, the next treatment protocol should be started.

Does Covid-19 in children have a milder course than Influenza?

BACKGROUND: In December 2019, a novel type of coronavirus infection emerged in the Wuhan province of China and began to spread rapidly. In this study, we aimed to determine the differences between COVID-19 disease and Influenza. METHODS: This retrospective study included 164 children with COVID-19, as well as 46 children with Influenza. The two groups were compared with respect to clinical and laboratory parameters and the rates of intensive care and mechanical ventilation requirement. RESULTS: In both groups, the most common admission complaints were fever and cough. As compared to the COVID-19 group, the Influenza group had significantly higher rates of cough (37 [80.4%] and 38 [23.2%]), fever (31 [67.4%] and 34 [20.7%]), muscle pain (34 [73.9%] and 31 [18.9%]), vomiting (13 [28.9%] and 8 [4.9%]) and tachypnea (32 [69.6%] and 3 [1.8%]) (P < .01 for all comparisons). The mean WBC count (7.10 ± 1.08 vs. 10.90 ± 1.82), mean neutrophil count (3.19 ± 0.58 vs. 6.04 ± 0.97), APTT, CRP, procalcitonin, ALT, and LDH levels were significantly lower in the COVID-19 group compared to the Influenza group (P < .05 for all comparisons). There was, however, no significant difference between the mean lymphocyte counts of both groups. The Influenza group had significantly higher rates of intensive care requirement (19 [41.3%] vs. 3 [1.8%]) and mechanical ventilation requirement (16 [34.8%] vs. 2 [1.2%]) as well as a significantly higher mortality rate (7 [15.2%] vs. 2 [1.2%]) than the COVID-19 group (P < .01). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 and Influenza may share similar clinical features. According to our findings, however, we believe that COVID-19 disease has a milder clinical and laboratory course than Influenza in children.

Is vitamin D deficiency a risk factor for COVID-19 in children?

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health problem that can result in serious complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical importance of vitamin D deficiency in children with COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study includes 40 patients who were diagnosed to have COVID-19 and hospitalized with the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method, 45 healthy matched control subjects with vitamin D levels. The age of admission, clinical and laboratory data, and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD) levels were recorded. Those with vitamin D levels which are below 20 ng/ml were determined as Group 1 and those with ≥20 ng/ml as Group 2. RESULTS: Patients with COVID-19 had significantly lower vitamin D levels 13.14 µg/L (4.19-69.28) than did the controls 34.81 (3.8-77.42) µg/L (p < .001). Patients with COVID-19 also had significantly lower serum phosphorus (4.09 ± 0.73 vs. 5.06 ± 0.93 vs. (U/L) (p < .001)) values compared with the controls. The symptom of fever was significantly higher in COVID- 19 patients who had deficient and insufficient vitamin D levels than in patients who had sufficient vitamin D levels (p = .038). There was a negative correlation found between fever symptom and vitamin D level (r = -0.358, p = .023). CONCLUSION: This is the first to evaluate vitamin D levels and its relationship with clinical findings in pediatric patients with COVID-19. Our results suggest that vitamin D values may be associated with the occurrence and management of the COVID-19 disease by modulating the immunological mechanism to the virus in the pediatric population.

Evaluation of the novel coronavirus disease in Turkish children: Preliminary outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) can progress with mild to moderate or self-limiting clinical findings in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the disease features of Covid-19 in Turkish children. METHODS: Children diagnosed by the method of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for Covid-19 at the Dicle University Department of Pediatric, between April and June 2020, were evaluated. Hospital records were investigated retrospectively. RESULTS: One hundred and five patients children with the mean age of 108.64 ± 65.61 months were enrolled in this study. The most common cause of transmission in pediatric patients was in contact with a family member diagnosed with COVID-19 (n = 91, 86.7%). The most common admission complaints were dry cough (n = 17, 16.2%), fever (n = 16, 15.2%), lassitude and fatigue (n = 14, 13.3%) respectively. More than 95% of all children with Covid-19 were asymptomatic, mild, or moderate cases. CRP was identified only independent factor associated with long duration of hospitalization. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show the effect of Covid-19 on Turkish children. A clear understanding of the local epidemiology of corona virus infections and identification of risk factors are critical for the successful implementation of the prevention and control program.