Clinical Characteristics and Mortality Profile of COVID-19 Patients Aged less than 20 years Old in Pernambuco - Brazil.

COVID-19 in children and adolescents has low frequency, severity, and fatality rate all over the world. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the epidemiological and clinical aspects of COVID-19 in patients younger than 20 years in Pernambuco (Brazil), with cases confirmed by reverse-transcriptase-PCR SARS-CoV-2 between 13 February and June 19, 2020, reported on information systems. Data regarding age (< 30 days, 1-11 months, 1-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years), gender, color/race, symptoms, pregnancy or puerperium, comorbidities, hospitalization, and death were investigated. Fatality rate and mortality coefficient were calculated, and a multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine if gender, age, and comorbidities were factors associated with death. Of 682 pediatric cases, 52.8% were female, with a mean age of 9 ± 7.2 years. The most frequent symptoms were fever (64.4%), cough (52.4%), and respiratory distress (32.4%). Hospitalization was reported in 46.2% of cases, mainly among neonates (80.3%) and infants (73.8%). Thirty-eight deaths were notified, and a fatality rate of 5.6% (95% CI: 3.9-7.3) was found, with higher fatality rates among neonates 11.5% (7 of 61) and 9.5% (8 of 84) infants. The mortality coefficient was 10.9 per 100,000 inhabitants < 1 year of age, whereas comorbidities (Odds ratio [OR] = 14.13, 95% CI: 6.35-31.44), age < 30 days (OR = 5.17, 95% CI: 1.81-14.77), and age 1-11 months (OR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.21-8.91) were independent factors associated with death. The results demonstrate the vulnerability of neonates and infants with severe conditions, need hospitalization, and high fatality rate, indicating the necessity to adapt public health policies for these age-groups.

Subcutaneous Versus Intravenous Rehydration in Hospitalized Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis.

Subcutaneous rehydration is an optional infusion route in hospitalized older adults. This meta-analysis sought to compare the effectiveness of subcutaneous versus intravenous (IV) fluid administration to reverse mild-to-moderate dehydration in hospitalized older adults. A literature search was performed. No restrictions were imposed regarding language. Three randomized clinical trials conducted with patients 60 years of age or older treated with subcutaneous or IV rehydration were included, with a total sample size of 197 patients. Controlled quasi-randomized and crossover trials were excluded. The primary end point was reversal of dehydration. Secondary end points were patient satisfaction and frequency of adverse events (eg, cellulitis, edema, phlebitis, erythema, hyponatremia, and pain). Both treatments were effective in rehydrating the patients within 48 hours, with no statistically significant difference between the groups. Subcutaneous fluid administration effectively reversed dehydration while protecting against phlebitis. Since the quality of evidence was considerably low, further multicenter randomized clinical trials of efficient methodological quality should be conducted to consolidate the body of evidence.