Rehospitalization indications of children hospitalized for COVID-19 infections after discharge: Should we suspect long COVID?
Turk J Pediatr
; 65(4): 583-591, 2023.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37661673
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Complications that may develop in children after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections are unknown. The `Long COVID` syndrome is a new process that can also be identified in children. Therefore, in this study, the conditions that may develop in children after COVID-19 infection were discussed, and the indications for rehospitalizations were reviewed.METHODS:
This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary children`s hospital in Izmir, Türkiye. All children who were rehospitalized in the study center after discharge, and the indications for readmissions were screened.RESULTS:
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 777 children with COVID-19 infection were hospitalized, including 98 (12.6%) cases rehospitalized for any indication. Fifty-five (56.1%) patients were male, and 43 (43.9%) were female. The mean age of the study population was 79.3±63.5 months (1 month to 17 years). Among these 98 patients, 76 (77.6%) were rehospitalized because of the presence of their primary underlying disease, nonspecific infectious diseases unrelated to COVID-19, and the need to perform certain surgical procedures. The remaining 22 (22.4%) patients presented with symptoms such as fatigue, fever, abdominal pain, and myalgia after the COVID-19 infection. No other underlying cause was detected in approximately one-third of the patients, whose manifestations were found to be consistent with long COVID syndrome.CONCLUSIONS:
The findings of acute COVID-19 infection are well characterized, but there is still limited data on its long-term outcomes. The majority of the study population that had no underlying disease were thought to have complications from the COVID-19 infection. Therefore, although the incidence rate of long COVID syndrome in childhood has not been revealed so far, it should be kept in mind among relevant differential diagnoses.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
COVID-19
/
Síndrome Post Agudo de COVID-19
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Turk J Pediatr
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article