Clinical Reflections of Acinetobacter Infections in Children in a Quaternary-Care Hospital: A Five-Year Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the epidemiology of Acinetobacter species in the last 5 years, the clinical diseases caused by the pathogen, the possible risk factors for infection, and the resistance pattern of the microorganism in our quaternary-care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 67 pediatric cases infected with Acinetobacter species in our hospital between January 2017 and December 2021 were analyzed. Demographic characteristics and clinical and laboratory findings were analyzed. RESULTS: In pediatric patients infected with Acinetobacter spp., the median age was 36 (7-114) months, and 64.2% (n = 43) were female. Acinetobacter baumannii was grown in the cultures of 31 (46.3%) cases. When the type of infection was examined, 31 (46.3%) cases were urinary tract infections, and 29 (43.3%) cases were bloodstream infections. Extensively drug-resistant, pandrug-resistant, and multidrug-resistant A. baumannii were found in 10 (14.9%), 3 (4.5%), and 2 (3%) cases, respectively. Health-care-associated infections were found to have a significant rate of Acinetobacter resistance (P = .002). Significant antimicrobial resistance was detected in Acinetobacter-infected cases with intensive care hospitalization within the last month and carbapenem use in the previous 3 months (P < .001, both). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to act in accordance with the infection prevention and control program to reduce the incidence of health-care-associated infections with Acinetobacter species and to prevent infection with highly resistant strains. Due to health-care-associated infections and factors contributing to the increase in Acinetobacter resistance, we believe this study will help clinicians to be more cautious in the use of carbapenems. Cite this article as: Elvan-Tüz A, Tekin D, Ekemen-Keles Y, et al. Clinical reflections of acinetobacter infections in children in a quaternary-care hospital: A five-year single-center experience. Turk Arch Pediatr. 2024;59(1):38-42.

Diagnostic Accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Testing in a Pediatric Population: Children are Not Little Adults.

BACKGROUND: Information on the use of antigen-based SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests (RAT) in children is limited. RATs have been used more frequently, because they are easily applicable, inexpensive, and can be easily performed at home without the need for special equipment. This study was designed to assign the diagnostic test accuracy of the SARS-CoV-2 RAT in daily clinical practice in children. METHODS: One thousand forty-two pediatric patients (aged 1 month - 18 years) who presented to the pediatric COVID-19 outpatient clinic of our hospital between January 2021 and June 2022 and met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. Nasopharyngeal samples were taken from the patients at the same visit, first for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and then for RAT. RESULTS: The data of all patients with RT-PCR positivity (n = 314) and additionally 14 patients with RAT positivity were analyzed in depth. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 62.1% (95% CI: 56.4 - 67.4) and 98% (95% CI: 96.7 - 98.9), respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) and the negative predictive value (NPV) in this pediatric study were 93.3% and 85.7% (95% CI: 88.7 - 96.1 and 83.1 - 87.9), respectively. Considering the Ct values, which are indirect indicators of viral load, it was observed that the sensitivity of the rapid antigen test increased at low Ct values. The sensitivity increased to 75.1% (95% CI: 67.9 - 81.1) in patients with a Ct value of < 25. The specificity was 92.7% (95% CI: 90.7 - 94.3), PPV was 67.8% (95% CI: 60.7 - 67.8) and the NPV was 94.7% (95% CI: 93.0 - 96.1) in patients with a Ct value < 25. When the patients were evaluated according to their symptomatic/asymptomatic status, the difference between the diagnostic performance of the RAT test was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, it was found that the sensitivity of RATs in pediatric patients was lower than in adults. Our results also showed that children are not small adults, and the sensitivity of the test was higher, especially in symptomatic patients and patients with high viral load. To obtain more accurate results, we believe that performing the test in the first 3 days of symptoms will give more accurate results.

Evaluation of ischemia-modified albumin in the diagnosis and the clinical severity of COVID-19 in children.

BACKGROUND: There is no specific biomarker used in the diagnosis of COVID-19 and predicting its clinical severity. This study aimed to investigate the utility of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) in diagnosing and predicting clinical severity in children with COVID-19. METHODS: Between October 2020 and March 2021, 41 cases constituted the COVID-19 group and 41 cases constituted the healthy control group. IMA levels were measured at admission (IMA-1) and 48-72 hours (IMA- 2) in the COVID-19 group. In the control group, it was measured at admission. COVID-19 clinical severity was classified as asymptomatic infection, mild, moderate, severe, or critical disease. Patients were divided into two groups (asymptomatic/mild and moderate/severe) to evaluate IMA levels in terms of clinical severity. RESULTS: In the COVID-19 group, the mean IMA-1 level was 0.901±0.099, and the mean IMA-2 level was 0.866±0.090. The mean level of IMA-1 in the control group was 0.787±0.051. When IMA-1 levels of COVID-19 and control cases were compared, the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). When clinical severity and laboratory data are compared, C-reactive protein, ferritin and ischemia-modified albumin ratio (IMAR) were statistically significantly higher in moderate-severe clinical cases (p=0.034, p=0.034, p=0.037 respectively). However, IMA-1 and IMA-2 levels were similar between the groups (p=0.134, p=0.922, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: To date, no study has been conducted on IMA levels in children with COVID-19. The IMA level may be a new marker for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in children. Studies with a larger number of cases are needed to predict clinical severity.

[An Infant with Zoonotic Pulmonary Tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis]. / Mycobacterium bovis'e Bagli Zoonotik Pulmoner Tüberküloz Tanili Bir Infant.

Bovine tuberculosis might be seen in low-income countries, especially in children fed with raw milk. The most common transmission route is fecal-oral way, and it is most likely through unpasteurized dairy products. Although clinical and radiological findings are like non-zoonotic tuberculosis, treatment approaches may differ in individuals with zoonotic tuberculosis. Prevention of zoonotic diseases requires multidisciplinary approaches. These approaches include the development of veterinary and surveillance studies for the detection of communicable diseases in farm animals, as well as informing the public about raw milk consumption. In this case report, a patient with zoonotic pulmonary tuberculosis related to Mycobacterium bovis because of consumption of raw milk was presented. A five-month-old male was admitted to the hospital due to a persistent, feverless, non-productive cough since birth. Empirical antibiotic treatment was started with a preliminary diagnosis of pneumonia because of left upper lobe and right pericardial infiltration on chest X-ray. However, after two weeks of antimicrobial therapy, the patient's clinical and laboratory findings did not improve. This led to the referral for a computed tomography imaging, which revealed tracheomalacia, consolidation on the right upper lobe, an indistinguishable mass or consolidation on the left middle lobe of the lung, peribronchial thickening on the basal segment of the lower lobe, and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Three consecutive days of fasting gastric lavage fluid was sent to the reference laboratory for acid-resistant bacillus examination, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture studies. As the clinical findings were compatible and PCR was positive, the patient was started on quadruple antituberculous therapy. After initiation of anti-tuberculosis drugs, the patient's findings radiologically and clinically were improved. Mycobacterium bovis was grown in the culture. In the meantime, it was discovered that the patient was fed with raw milk. Due to the patient's clinical symptoms and the growth of Mycobacterium bovis in the gastric lavage fluid culture, the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis was made. The culprit was that the milk of the cow belonging to the patient's family, which was later found to be infected with M.bovis, was milked and given to the patient without boiling. Today, unpasteurized dairy products continue to be consumed, especially in rural areas. One of the most important steps to prevent zoonotic diseases is to raise awareness about not consuming raw milk and undercooked meat. To elucidate the epidemiological link in childhood, taking a good anamnesis, including questioning raw milk consumption, is essential in the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Parental Attitudes About Lumbar Puncture in Children With Suspected Central Nervous System Infection.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate parents' attitudes toward lumbar puncture (LP) for their children with suspected central nervous system infection to determine the reasons for rejection and related factors. METHODS: The survey was provided to parents of children (1 month to 18 years old) for whom LP was recommended because of a concern for central nervous system infection. Sociodemographic characteristics and other related factors of parents who did and did not approve of LP were compared statistically. The reasons for the disapproval of parents who refused LP were revealed. RESULTS: A total of 100 parents were included in the study. Eighty-two percent of the participating parents were mothers, and the median age of the mothers was 31 years (min: 17 years; max: 70 years). The median age of the fathers was 37 years (min: 22 years; max: 60 years). Among the parents, 34% did not give consent for LP. The most common reason for the participants to refuse LP was fear of paralysis of their children due to the procedure (82.3%). There was a statistical difference between the approval of the LP procedure and the person who informed the parents about the LP procedure and read the informed consent form ( P = 0.004 and P = 0.038, respectively).As a result of the binary logistic regression analysis, it was seen that the rate of acceptance of the LP procedure by the parents informed by the specialist doctors was 7.1-fold ( P = 0.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-37.6) higher than the parents informed by the resident physicians. CONCLUSION: The informed consent process mainly influenced parents' attitudes toward LP. To increase the acceptance rates of LP, we should standardize the informed consent process so that it is not affected by factors such as seniority of the physician.

Association between mannose binding lectin gene polymorphisms and clinical severity of COVID-19 in children.

BACKGROUND: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a member of innate immunity and acts with MASP (MBL-associated serine protease) to activate the lectin pathway of the complement system. MBL gene polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to infectious diseases. This study investigated whether MBL2 genotype, serum MBL levels, and serum MASP-2 levels affect the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS AND RESULTS: Pediatric patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were included in the study. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter and exon 1 in the MBL2 gene (rs11003125, rs7096206, rs1800450, rs1800451, rs5030737) were identified by a PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphisms analysis. Serum MBL and MASP-2 levels were measured by ELISA. COVID-19 patients were divided into asymptomatic and symptomatic. Variables were compared between these two groups. A total of 100 children were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 130 ± 67.2 months. Of the patients, 68 (68%) were symptomatic, and 32 (32%) were asymptomatic. The polymorphisms in the - 221nt and - 550nt promoter regions did not differ between groups (p > 0.05). All codon 52 and codon 57 genotypes were determined as wild-type AA. AB genotypes were found 45.6% in symptomatic patients while 23.5% in asymptomatics. Moreover, BB genotype was detected 9.4% in symptomatic and 6.3% in asymptomatic patients (p < 0.001). B allele was more frequent in symptomatic patients (46.3%) compared to asymptomatic patients (10.9%). (p < 0.001). Serum MBL and MASP-2 levels did not differ statistically between the groups (p = 0.295, p = 0.073). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that codon 54 polymorphism in the MBL2 gene exon-1 region can be associated with the symptomatic course of COVID-19.

A prospective long-term evaluation of the ocular findings of children followed with the diagnosis of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (long-term evaluation of ocular findings following MIS-C).

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The most frequently reported ocular finding in the acute phase of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), is conjunctivitis. More rarely, punctuate epitheliopathy, anterior uveitis and optic disc oedema can be seen. We aimed to investigate the acute and long-term ocular effects of MIS-C. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Cases aged 1 month to 18 years who were diagnosed with MIS-C between January 2022 and June 2022 in the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases in our hospital were included in the study. Ophthalmological examinations were performed immediately after diagnosis, at one month, three months, and six months. RESULTS: Males consisted of 64.7% of the 34 cases included in the study and the mean age was 8.68 ± 4.32 years (min-max:2-17). In the first examination, conjunctivitis was observed in 6 (17.6%), punctuate epitheliopathy in 4 (11.7%), and subconjunctival haemorrhage in 3 (8.8%) patients. Two patients (5.8%) had optic disc oedema. No pathological anterior or posterior segment findings were observed in the sixth-month examination. The relationship between subconjunctival haemorrhage and intensive care hospitalisation was statistically significant (p = 0.014). Also, all patients with subconjunctival haemorrhage were clinically classified as severe MIS-C (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Although pathological ocular findings were observed in the acute phase of the disease, all of them were found to be improved at the sixth-month follow-up. The most striking finding of our study is that cases with subconjunctival haemorrhage were clinically more severe, and all patients needed intensive care. This study may be informative in establishing ocular follow-up protocols that are expected to be carried out in the acute period and in the follow-up of these patients.

The diversity in the clinical features of children hospitalized with COVID-19 during the nonvariant, Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant periods of SARS CoV-2: Caution for neurological symptoms in Omicron variant.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, various severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants have been identified with different characteristics than the nonvariant strain. We retrospectively evaluated the demographic and clinical differences in the cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 children (1 month-18 years old) between March 11, 2020, and September 31, 2022, by the time the variants identified in our country predominate. Bonferroni post hoc analysis was performed to compare the differences between the periods. Of the 283 children in this study, 142 (50.2%) were females. The median age was 36 (interquartile range [IQR]: 7-132) months. Sixty-three (22.2%) patients were hospitalized in the nonvariant period, 24 (8.5%) in the Alpha period, 93 (32.9%) in the Delta period, and 103 (36.4%) in the Omicron period. Fever was the most common symptom in all groups, with no statistically significant differences (p = 0.25). In the Omicron period, respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms decreased, and neurological symptoms increased significantly compared to other periods: [respiratory symptoms; nonvariant (65.1%) vs. Omicron (41.7%), (p = 0.024)], [gastrointestinal symptoms; Delta (41.9%) vs. Omicron (22.3%), (p = 0.018), [neurological symptoms; Delta (14.5%) vs. Omicron (31.1%), (p = 0.03]. Altered mental status and seizures were more common during the Omicron period compared to the pre-Omicron (nonvariant, Alpha, and Delta) period (p = 0.017 and p = 0.005, respectively). Although the main symptoms in children with COVID-19 were fever and respiratory symptoms, an increase in severe neurological manifestations was seen throughout the Omicron variant period.

Serum Amyloid A Levels and Severity of COVID-19 in Children.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the availability of serum amyloid A (SAA) in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), to asses disease severity and to predict hospitalization status. METHODS: Between March, 2020 and March, 2021, a total of 80 children (40 cases with COVID-19 and 40 cases in healthy group) were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups (mild and moderate/severe) to evaluate SAA levels in terms of clinical severity and also hospitalization status. RESULTS: Comparisons between the two groups revealed that median SAA values were significantly higher in children with COVID-19 than in their healthy peers (21.45vs3.05 mg/L, P=0.002). There was no significant difference in the median serum SAA levels between mild and moderate/severe clinical disease (P=0.837). The SAA difference between the two groups with regards to hospitalization was not statistically significant (P=0.098). CONCLUSIONS: Although SAA level was found to be higher in children with COVID 19 compared to healthy controls, the sensitivity of SAA for the disease was found to be low. In addition, there was no difference between the groups in terms of clinical severity.

Can Serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Levels Predict the Severity of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children and COVID-19?

Objective: To determine the clinical significance of serum 25-hydroxy (OH) vitamin D levels in pediatric patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and compare the vitamin D levels of these patients with those patients with Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and healthy controls. Methods: This study was designed for pediatric patients aged 1 month to 18 years and conducted between July 14 and December 25, 2021. Fifty-one patients with MIS-C, 57 who were hospitalized with COVID-19, and 60 controls were enrolled in the study. Vitamin D insufficiency was defined as a serum 25 (OH) vitamin D level of less than 20 ng/mL. Severe MIS-C was classified as necessitating intensive care due to cardiovascular instability, the necessity for non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, and/or a diminishing Glasgow coma scale. World Health Organization definition criteria were used to describe the clinical stages of COVID-19 in children and patients were divided into four groups according to the clinical severity of COVID-19: asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe/critical. Results: The median serum 25 (OH) vitamin D was 14.6 ng/mL in patients with MIS-C, 16 ng/mL in patients with COVID-19, and 21.1 ng/mL in the control group (p<0.001). Vitamin D insufficiency was present in 74.5% (n=38) of patients with MIS-C, 66.7% (n=38) of patients with COVID-19, and 41.7% (n=25) of the controls (p=0.001). The percentage of four or more affected organ systems was 39.2% in patients with MIS-C. The correlation between the number of affected organ systems and serum 25 (OH) vitamin D levels was evaluated in patients with MIS-C and there was a moderate negative correlation (r=-0.310; p=0.027). A weak negative correlation was found between the severity of COVID-19 and serum 25 (OH) vitamin D (r=-0.320, p=0.015). Conclusion: Vitamin D levels were insufficient in both the MIS-C and COVID groups. Furthermore, vitamin D levels correlated with the number of affected organ systems in MIS-C and the severity of COVID-19.

Hydatid Disease in Children from Diagnosis to Treatment: A 10-year Single Center Experience

Objective: Hydatid disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus is a parasitic zoonosis and is endemic in Turkey. Clinical manifestations vary and are related to the anatomical location. In this report, we shared the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of hydatid disease in children with a 10-year experience. Methods: A total of fifty-seven children diagnosed with hydatid disease were analyzed retrospectively from hospital records. Diagnosis was based on clinical, serological and radiological findings. Treatment response was evaluated with clinical, radiological and serological findings. Results: The male/female ratio of 57 cases was 2.4:1 and the mean age was 113.6±45.9 months. The most common presenting complaint was abdominal pain (42.1%). While 22 (38.6%) of the cases had eosinophilia; indirect hemagglutination test positivity was detected in 27 cases (47.4%). Multiple organ involvement was present in 18 cases (31.6%). In patients with multiple organ involvement, the possibility of cysts being located in the abdomen was higher (p=0.005). Of the 50 cases (87.7%), 45 (78.9%) were operated with open surgery and 5 (8.8%) with percutaneous aspiration-injection-reaspiration method for treatment. There were 52 (91.2%) patients who were given albendazole in conservative treatment and the mean duration of treatment was 15.5±17.2 months. There were 10 cases (17.5%) who developed cyst rupture and the symptom duration was shorter than the cases without cyst rupture (p=0.017). Cyst rupture was more common in cases with dyspnea and fluid discharge from the mouth called rock water (p=0.001, p=0.005, respectively). Recurrence was observed in five cases (8.8%) during follow-up. Conclusion: In areas where the disease is endemic, despite prevention and control programs consisting of personal habits and health education, active transmission of hydatid disease is seen in children and continues to be an important public health problem. Hydatid disease should definitely be considered in the presence of suspicious radiological and clinical findings in endemic areas. Controlled clinical studies are required for diagnosis and treatment procedures.

Seasonal coronaviruses infections in children: do they always cause mild illness?

BACKGROUND: Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) cause a comprehensive clinic ranging from asymptomatic course to pneumonia. We aimed to describe the HCoV infections in children to determine the clinical status and coinfection effects in a five-year retrospective surveillance study. The primary outcome was admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and the secondary outcome was the need of high oxygen support. METHODS: Between September 2015 and November 2020, all patients whose reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests were positive were determined and patients with HCoVs were included in the study. Demographical characteristics, underlying chronic diseases, clinical diagnosis, laboratory data, subtypes of HCoVs, radiological findings, treatments, hospitalization, and ICU admission were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 2606 children, the overall respiratory tract virus detection rate was 82.4%. Among these, 98 cases were HCoVs positive and of these 80 (81.6%) were under five years of age and most of the patients were admitted to the hospital in spring and 70% were a mixed infection with other respiratory viruses. Since lower respiratory tract infections are more common in HCoV coinfections, a significant difference was found in clinical diagnosis (p < 0.001). The presence of hypoxia (p=0.003) and underlying disease (p=0.004) were found to be significantly more common in patients admitted to the ICU. The presence of hypoxia, infiltration on chest X-ray, and elevated C-reactive protein levels were more frequently determined in patients who received high oxygen support (p=0.001, p=0.036, p=0.004, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical findings may be more severe if HCoVs, which generally cause mild respiratory disease, are coinfected with another viral agent.

Evaluation of Depression, Anxiety, and Sleep Quality in Children Diagnosed With COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: COVID-19 has affected individuals of all age groups, both physically and mentally. We aimed to determine anxiety and depression in children diagnosed with COVID-19. Fifty children aged 8 to 18 years diagnosed with COVID-19 were included in the study. The children were evaluated the revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, STAI form TX-I (state anxiety inventory), and STAI form TX-II (trait anxiety inventory). Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire was applied for one of the parents according to three different periods. The periods were established as before the pandemic, during the illness-quarantine process, and after the quarantine. We observed the highest scores for depression-anxiety and the poorest sleep quality during the quarantine period. The scores for depression-anxiety were lower, and sleep quality scores were higher in the prepandemic period compared with after the quarantine period. Measures should be taken to protect mental health for children with COVID-19.

Are Thyroid Functions Affected in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children?

Objective: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), associated with Coronavirus disease-2019, is defined as the presence of documented fever, inflammation, and at least two signs of multisystem involvement and lack of an alternative microbial diagnosis in children who have recent or current Severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus-2 infection or exposure. In this study, we evaluated thyroid function tests in pediatric cases with MIS-C in order to understand how the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis was affected and to examine the relationship between disease severity and thyroid function. Methods: This case-control study was conducted between January 2021 and September 2021. The patient group consisted of 36 MIS-C cases, the control group included 72 healthy children. Demographic features, clinical findings, inflammatory markers, thyroid function tests, and thyroid antibody levels in cases of MIS-C were recorded. Thyroid function tests were recorded in the healthy control group. Results: When MIS-C and healthy control groups were compared, free triiodothyronine (fT3) level was lower in MIS-C cases, while free thyroxine (fT4) level was found to be lower in the healthy group (p<0.001, p=0.001, respectively). Although the fT4 level was significantly lower in controls, no significant difference was found compared with the age-appropriate reference intervals (p=0.318). When MIS-C cases were stratified by intensive care requirement, fT3 levels were also lower in those admitted to intensive care and also in those who received steroid treatment (p=0.043, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Since the endocrine system critically coordinates and regulates important metabolic and biochemical pathways, investigation of endocrine function in MIS-C may be beneficial. These results show an association between low fT3 levels and both diagnosis of MIS-C and requirement for intensive care. Further studies are needed to predict the prognosis and develop a long-term follow-up management plan.

Influenza is more severe than our newest enemy (COVID-19) in hospitalized children: Experience from a tertiary center.

Understanding differences in terms of clinical phenotypes and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with influenza is vital to optimizing the management of patients and planning healthcare. Herein, we aimed to investigate the clinical differences and outcomes in hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza. We performed a retrospective study of hospitalized children who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and March 2021 and for influenza between January 2016 and February 2020 in respiratory samples. The primary outcome of this study was pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, and the secondary outcome was the need for respiratory support. A total of 74 patients with influenza and 71 who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 were included. The distribution among the sexes was similar, but patients with COVID-19 were older than patients with influenza (96 vs. 12, p < 0.001). In terms of underlying chronic diseases, the frequency was 26.7% in the COVID-19 group and 54% in the influenza group (p = 0.001). The comparison of symptoms revealed that fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain occurred more frequently with COVID-19 (for all p < 0.05) and runny nose with influenza (p = 0.002). The frequency of admission to the PICU was relatively higher (18.9%) in the influenza group than with COVID-19 (2.8%) with a significant ratio (p = 0.001), secondary bacterial infections were observed more frequently in the influenza group (20.2% vs. 4.2%, p = 0.003). Some 88.7% of patients with COVID-19 did not need respiratory support, whereas 59.4% of patients with influenza did require respiratory support (p < 0.001). This study noted that influenza caused more frequent admissions to the PICU and a greater need for respiratory support in hospitalized pediatric patients than COVID-19.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children associated with COVID-19 in 101 cases from Turkey (Turk-MISC study).

AIM: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) may cause shock and even death in children. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical features, laboratory characteristics and outcome of children diagnosed with MIS-C in 25 different hospitals in Turkey. METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted between 8 April and 28 October 2020 in 25 different hospitals from 17 cities. Data were collected from patients' medical records using a standardised form. Clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes according to different age groups, gender and body mass index percentiles were compared using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The study comprised 101 patients, median age 7 years (interquartile range (IQR) 4.6-9.3); 51 (50.5%) were boys. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was positive in 21/100 (21%) patients; 62/83 (74.6%) patients had positive serology for SARS-CoV-2. The predominant complaints were fever (100%), fatigue (n = 90, 89.1%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (n = 81, 80.2%). Serum C-reactive protein (in 101 patients, median 165 mg/L; range 112-228), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (73/84, median 53 mm/s; IQR 30-84) and procalcitonin levels (86/89, median 5 µg/L; IQR 0.58-20.2) were elevated. Thirty-eight patients (37.6%) required admission to intensive care. Kawasaki disease (KD) was diagnosed in 70 (69.3%) patients, 40 of whom had classical KD. Most patients were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (n = 92, 91%) and glucocorticoids (n = 59, 58.4%). Seven patients (6.9%) died. CONCLUSION: The clinical spectrum of MIS-C is broad, but clinicians should consider MIS-C in the differential diagnosis when persistent fever, fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms are prominent. Most patients diagnosed with MIS-C were previously healthy. Immunomodulatory treatment and supportive intensive care are important in the management of cases with MIS-C. Glucocorticoids and intravenous immunoglobulins are the most common immunomodulatory treatment options for MIS-C. Prompt diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential for optimal management.