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Psychiatric comorbidities and dehydration are more common in children admitted to the emergency department for eating disorders in the COVID-19 era.
Spina, Giulia; Roversi, Marco; Marchili, Maria Rosaria; Raucci, Umberto; Fini, Francesca; Mirra, Gianluca; Testa, Giulia; Guarnieri, Benedetta; Clemente, Anna; Diamanti, Antonella; Zanna, Valeria; Castiglioni, Maria Chiara; Vicari, Stefano; Reale, Antonino; Villani, Alberto.
  • Spina G; University Hospital Pediatric Department, "Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
  • Roversi M; University Hospital Pediatric Department, "Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
  • Marchili MR; Department of Emergency, Acceptance and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy. mrosaria.marchili@opbg.net.
  • Raucci U; Department of Emergency, Acceptance and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Fini F; University Hospital Pediatric Department, "Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
  • Mirra G; University Hospital Pediatric Department, "Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
  • Testa G; University Hospital Pediatric Department, "Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
  • Guarnieri B; University Hospital Pediatric Department, "Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
  • Clemente A; Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
  • Diamanti A; Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, Bambino Gesù" Children Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Zanna V; Anorexia Nervosa and Eating Disorders Unit, Child Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù" Children Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Castiglioni MC; Anorexia Nervosa and Eating Disorders Unit, Child Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù" Children Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Vicari S; Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bambino Gesù" Children Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Reale A; Child Neuropsychiatry Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
  • Villani A; Department of Emergency, Acceptance and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Eat Weight Disord ; 27(7): 2473-2480, 2022 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1748380
ABSTRACT

PURPOSE:

Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and home confinement had a significant impact on children, especially on those with eating disorders (ED). The primary objective of this retrospective study was to describe and analyze the demographic and clinical profiles of children presenting with ED during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective review of clinical charts of patients with ED younger than 18 years who accessed the emergency department of the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, between March 2019 and March 2021. Of these, we reported and compared the demographic, clinical and laboratory data before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and looked for predictors of ED severity.

RESULTS:

A total of 211 admissions for ED were recorded. The patients, mostly females (86.3%) were on average 14.1 years old. The mean weight loss on admission was 11 kg. Bradycardia was observed in 31.3% of the study sample. 16.6% of patients had an associated psychiatric disorder and 60.2% required psychotropic drugs. 68.7% of the patients required hospitalization. Respectively, 96 and 115 patients were admitted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latter were hospitalized more (78.3 vs 57.3%; p = 0.001), yet for less time (19 vs 26 days; p = 0.004), had a higher mean serum creatinine (0.68 vs 0.47; p < 0.001) and were more frequently diagnosed with an associated psychiatric disorder (23.5 vs 8.3%; p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION:

Our study shows a significant increase of hospitalizations of children with ED during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with a shorter length of stay, more psychiatric comorbidities, and some distinctive features at the laboratory work-up, such as an increase of serum creatinine and/or a reduction of serum albumin. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Feeding and Eating Disorders / COVID-19 Type of study: Cohort study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Adolescent / Child / Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Eat Weight Disord Journal subject: Gastroenterology / Metabolism Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S40519-022-01386-7

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Feeding and Eating Disorders / COVID-19 Type of study: Cohort study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Adolescent / Child / Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Eat Weight Disord Journal subject: Gastroenterology / Metabolism Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S40519-022-01386-7