Guidelines for the prevention and management of children and adolescents with COVID-19.

Children are the future of the world, but their health and future are facing great uncertainty because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In order to improve the management of children with COVID-19, an international, multidisciplinary panel of experts developed a rapid advice guideline at the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. After publishing the first version of the rapid advice guideline, the panel has updated the guideline by including additional stakeholders in the panel and a comprehensive search of the latest evidence. All recommendations were supported by systematic reviews and graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Expert judgment was used to develop good practice statements supplementary to the graded evidence-based recommendations. The updated guideline comprises nine recommendations and one good practice statement. It focuses on the key recommendations pertinent to the following issues: identification of prognostic factors for death or pediatric intensive care unit admission; the use of remdesivir, systemic glucocorticoids and antipyretics, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, and high-flow oxygen by nasal cannula or non-invasive ventilation for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure; breastfeeding; vaccination; and the management of pediatric mental health. CONCLUSION: This updated evidence-based guideline intends to provide clinicians, pediatricians, patients and other stakeholders with evidence-based recommendations for the prevention and management of COVID-19 in children and adolescents. Larger studies with longer follow-up to determine the effectiveness and safety of systemic glucocorticoids, IVIG, noninvasive ventilation, and the vaccines for COVID-19 in children and adolescents are encouraged. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Several clinical practice guidelines for children with COVID-19 have been developed, but only few of them have been recently updated. • We developed an evidence-based guideline at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak and have now updated it based on the results of a comprehensive search of the latest evidence. WHAT IS NEW: • The updated guideline provides key recommendations pertinent to the following issues: identification of prognostic factors for death or pediatric intensive care unit admission; the use of remdesivir, systemic glucocorticoids and antipyretics, intravenous immunoglobulin for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, and high-flow oxygen by nasal cannula or non-invasive ventilation for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure; breastfeeding; vaccination; and the management of pediatric mental health.

Perioperative local anaesthesia for reducing pain following septal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Septal surgery is a well-established procedure used to treat nasal obstruction due to deviation of the nasal septum, which is carried out under local or general anaesthesia. Local anaesthesia is used for postoperative pain control, but its effectiveness and safety are unclear. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of perioperative local anaesthesia for reducing pain in septal surgery and to evaluate the risk of associated complications. SEARCH METHODS: The Cochrane ENT Information Specialist searched the Cochrane ENT Trial Register; Central Register of Controlled Trials; Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid Embase; CINAHL; Web of Science; ClinicalTrials.gov; ICTRP and additional sources for published and unpublished trials. The date of the search was 9 January 2018. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials and cluster-randomised controlled trials involving adults or children (or both) who underwent septal surgery. We included studies comparing local anaesthesia versus no treatment/placebo. We also included studies comparing different types of local anaesthesia to each other (i.e. local injection, the addition of an anaesthetic agent to nasal packing, where used, and sphenopalatine ganglion block). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. The primary outcome was postoperative pain intensity at 12, 24 and 48 hours measured by visual analogue scale (VAS) or another pain outcome tool including numerical or verbal rating scales. Secondary outcomes were requirement for additional analgesia, duration of hospitalisation and adverse effects (postoperative bleeding and postoperative vomiting). We used GRADE to assess the quality of the evidence for each outcome; this is indicated in italics. MAIN RESULTS: We included seven randomised controlled trials involving 493 participants. In all studies the participants were adults undergoing septoplasty. These studies were heterogeneous and the quality of the body of evidence ranged from low to very low. Few of the studies provided reliable data for the primary outcome in this review.Local anaesthetic injection versus no treatment/placeboTwo studies (142 participants) compared local anaesthetic injection versus placebo but these studies did not report postoperative pain at 12, 24 or 48 hours. It is unclear whether local anaesthetic injection changed the risk of vomiting (odds ratio (OR) 3.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12 to 79.23; 60 participants; one study) (low-quality evidence). Neither study reported the requirement for additional analgesia, duration of hospitalisation or uncontrollable postoperative bleeding.Local anaesthetic application via nasal packing versus no packing/packing with placeboFour studies (301 participants) used nasal packing postoperatively and compared the addition of local anaesthetic to the pack versus packing with a placebo added. Compared with packing with placebo, the addition of local anaesthetic to nasal packing reduced the pain score on a VAS (ranging from 0 to 100) at 12 hours (mean difference (MD) -16.95, 95% CI -22.27 to -11.62; 151 participants; two studies; I2 = 49%) (low-quality evidence) and at 24 hours postoperatively (MD -7.53, 95% CI -9.76 to -5.29; 268 participants; four studies; I2 = 83%) (very low-quality evidence). These studies did not report postoperative pain at 48 hours. The addition of local anaesthetic to nasal packing decreased the requirement for additional analgesia (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.34; 151 participants; two studies; I2 = 15%) (moderate-quality evidence). No studies reported duration of hospitalisation, postoperative vomiting or uncontrollable postoperative bleeding.No studies compared the addition of local anaesthetic to nasal packing versus no packing.Sphenopalatine ganglion block versus no treatment/placeboOne study (50 participants) compared sphenopalatine ganglion block versus no treatment but this study did not report postoperative pain, requirement for additional analgesia, duration of hospitalisation, vomiting or uncontrollable postoperative bleeding. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The addition of local anaesthesia to nasal packs (if these are being used) following septal surgery may reduce postoperative pain within the first 12 hours, compared to nasal packing with a placebo added. The effect is uncertain at 24 hours because the quality of the evidence is very low. Evidence was lacking for other outcomes, including adverse effects. There is a lack of evidence about the effects of local anaesthesia added to nasal packing compared to no nasal packing. There is also a lack of evidence about the effects of local anaesthesia given by injection and the effects of sphenopalatine ganglion block.

Validity of the Japan Acuity and Triage Scale in adults: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The Japan Acuity and Triage Scale (JTAS) was developed based on Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale in 2012 and has been implemented in many Japanese EDs. We assessed the validity of JTAS by examining the association between JTAS triage levels and throughput and clinical outcomes in adult patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected clinical data in the ED of a Japanese tertiary-care hospital. We included self-presenting patients who were ≥16 years of age and triaged between June 2013 and May 2014. We assessed the association between the triage level and overall admission and admission to the intensive care units (ICUs) with multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted with patients' age and the time of visit and ED length of stay using the Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test. We examined the predictive ability of JTAS for determining overall and ICU admission using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: We included a total of 27 120 adult patients in our study. The OR for overall admission was greater with a higher triage level compared with the lowest urgency levels. ED length of stay was significantly longer with a higher JTAS level (p<0.001). The OR for ICU admission was greater in JTAS 1 (117.93 (95% CI 69.07 to 201.38)) and JTAS 2 (9.43 (95% CI 13.74 to 29.30)) compared with the lowest urgency levels. The areas under the curve for the predictive ability of JTAS for overall and ICU admission were 0.726 and 0.792, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests an association of JTAS acuity with overall admission, ICU admission and ED length of stay, thereby demonstrating the predictive validity of JTAS.

Diagnostic accuracy of lateral neck radiography in ruling out supraglottitis: a prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of lateral neck radiographs (LNR) for acute supraglottitis in adults. DESIGN: A single centre prospective observational study. SETTING: Emergency department at Kurashiki Central Hospital, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients who underwent LNR to detect supraglottitis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of supraglottitis, based on nasopharyngeal laryngoscopy or a follow-up telephone call, 7-30 days after the visit. RESULTS: 140 patients had LNR during the study period. 35 patients were excluded from further analysis because of lack of consent. Of the 105 eligible patients, 21 patients (20%) were given the diagnosis of supraglottitis: 17 of 29 with a radiographic abnormality, and 4 of 76 patients without a radiographic abnormality. Three of the four cases where LNR was negative was grade 1, and all cases of grade 3 or higher had abnormal LNR. Sensitivity and specificity (95% CI) of LNR for supraglottitis were 81.0% (64.2 to 97.7) and 85.7% (78.2 to 93.2), respectively. The positive predictive value of LNR was 58.6% (40.7 to 76.5) and the negative predictive value was 94.7% (89.7 to 99.8). The positive likelihood ratio of LNR was 5.67 (3.27 to 9.82) and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.22 (0.10 to 0.51). CONCLUSIONS: LNR showed only moderate sensitivity and specificity for supraglottitis and would miss some cases of supraglottitis if the pre-test probability is high. LNR was very sensitive for grade 3 or higher supraglottitis, but would miss milder cases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000011928.

[Measures to Ensure Ongoing Medical Laboratory Support of the Emergency Department].

Following the accreditation of this hospital as an Emergency and Critical Care Center and the subsequent establishment of an emergency intensive care unit in April 2013, walk-in patients of the Emergency Department now total over 60,000 annually, with 10,000 arriving by ambulance. Out-of-hours medical laboratory services in this hospital commenced in 1972, providing services including blood analysis and blood product provision. Since the establishment of the Emergency and Critical Care Center, an increase in the number of severe cases has also led to an increase in blood transfusions, requiring a specialized response from the Medical Laboratory. We describe measures taken by the Medical Laboratory to continue ongoing laboratory support of the Emergency Department. [Review].

Case volume and specialization in critically ill emergency patients: a nationwide cohort study in Japanese ICUs.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have explored the association between the number of cases and patient outcomes for critical illnesses such as sepsis and trauma, as well as various surgeries, with the expectation that a higher number of cases would have a more favorable effect on patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to elucidate the association among intensive care unit (ICU) case volume, specialization, and patient outcomes in critically ill emergency patients and to determine how ICU case volumes and specializations impact the outcomes of these patients in Japanese ICUs. METHODS: Utilizing data from the Japanese Intensive Care PAtient Database (JIPAD) from April 2015 to March 2021, this retrospective cohort study was conducted in 80 ICUs across Japan and included 72,214 emergency patients aged ≥ 16 years. The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality, and the secondary outcomes encompassed ICU mortality, 28-day mortality, ventilator-free days, and the lengths of ICU and hospital stays. Bayesian hierarchical generalized linear mixed models were used to adjust for patient- and ICU-level variables. RESULTS: This study revealed a significant association between a higher ICU case volume and decreased in-hospital mortality. In particular, ICUs with a higher percentage (> 75%) of emergency patients showed more pronounced effects, with the odds ratios for in-hospital mortality in the higher case volume quartiles (Q2, Q3, and Q4) being 0.92 (95% credible interval [CI]: 0.88-0.96), 0.70 (95% CI: 0.67-0.73), and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.73-0.83), respectively, compared with the lowest quartile (Q1). Similar trends were observed for various secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Higher ICU case volumes were significantly associated with lower in-hospital mortality rates in Japanese ICUs predominantly treating critically ill emergency patients. These findings emphasize the importance of ICU specialization and highlight the potential benefits of centralized care for critically ill emergency patients. These findings are potential insights for improving health care policy in Japan and may be valuable in emergency care settings in other countries with similar healthcare systems, after careful consideration of contextual differences.

Determinants of Awareness of Clinical Practice Guidelines among Healthcare Users in Japan.

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are used by both healthcare users and providers, so their recognition is important. The present study's purpose was to clarify the features of healthcare users who are aware of the CPGs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted targeting Internet survey panels (n = 6000). The study participants (age range, 20s to 60s) had no medical qualifications and had received medical care in the last 3 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to clarify the factors related to the awareness of CPGs. When "I have seen the CPGs" was used as the objective variable, the odds ratios (ORs) were high for "e-health literacy/score 31-40" (OR = 8.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.51-11.68), "Sources of health information/healthcare workers and professionals" (OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 2.17-3.14), "Age/20s" (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.74-3.23), and "I have been diagnosed and treated for a major illness" (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.52-2.65). These results could be applied to aid the dissemination and utilization of CPGs among healthcare users.

Real-world efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis for upper gastrointestinal bleeding in cirrhotic patients in Japan.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended for cirrhotic patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). However, the frequency of bacterial infection in such patients has remarkably decreased over the decades, which has reduced the necessity for prophylaxis. Therefore, here we investigated the real-world adherence and effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis in cirrhotic patients with UGIB in Japan. METHODS: This population-based study was conducted with a Japanese real-world database of the Health, Clinic, and Education Information Evaluation Institute. We enrolled cirrhotic patients who were hospitalized for UGIB between April 2010 and March 2020. After those who died within 24 h and who had aspiration pneumonia at admission were excluded, 1232 patients were analyzed. Rates of 6-week mortality, in-hospital bacterial infection, 30-day readmission, and length of hospital stay were evaluated. RESULTS: Prophylactic antibiotics were prescribed in 142 (11.5%) patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that antibiotic prophylaxis was not significantly associated with either 6-week mortality or bacterial infection. After propensity score matching, the rates of 6-week mortality (7.2% vs. 8.4%, P = 0.810), bacterial infection (9.6% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.082), and 30-day unexpected readmission (7.2% vs. 7.8%, P = 1.000) were similar in patients with and without prophylaxis, whereas the median length of hospital stay was significantly longer in patients with prophylaxis (17 days vs. 13 days, P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Under current real-world circumstances in Japan, prophylactic antibiotics were prescribed in only 11.5% of cirrhotic patients with UGIB and were not associated with better clinical outcomes.

A Review of Research Studies Using Data from the Administrative Claims Databases in Japan.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, several research studies have used administrative claims databases. However, no study has compared the studies conducted in each database. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the type, design, and research area of each research study using the administrative databases in Japan to illustrate the suitability of the database used for the types of research studies. METHODS: We reviewed studies from four administrative claims databases (the Japanese National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups [NDB]; the DPC Study Group database [DPC]; Japan Medical Data Center [JMDC]; and Medical Data Vision [MDV]). The PubMed database was searched from January 2015 to October 2020. We assessed the type, design, and research area of the abstract or full text of each research study. RESULTS: Overall, 643 studies were included. The number of studies increased from 59 in 2015 to 171 in 2020. Descriptive studies accounted for 62.7% (42 studies) of the studies from the NDB, while the treatment effectiveness studies accounted for 81.7% (211 studies) of the studies from the DPC database and were the most common in the JMDC and MDV. Cohort studies accounted for only 17.9% of the studies on NDB but 45.5% on DPC. The most common research area was medicine, general, and internal medicine (53 studies, 8.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The type and design of the studies conducted differed in each database and were influenced by the characteristics of the database used. In the future, it may be necessary to integrate various real-world data databases to increase their comprehensiveness.

Sensorineural hearing dysfunction after discharge from critical care in adults: A retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing intensive care are exposed to risk factors for hearing impairment. This study assessed the worse changes in pure tone average (PTA) thresholds after intensive care and identified the factors associated with worse hearing function. METHODS: We conducted a single-centre retrospective study, and included adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Kurashiki Central Hospital between January 2014 and September 2019, who had regular pure tone audiometry performed before and after ICU admission. Correlations between changes in PTA threshold and patient characteristics, were evaluated. The included ears were classified as those with worse hearing (>10 dB increase in the PTA threshold) and those without worse hearing, and the baseline characteristics were compared. RESULTS: During the study period, 125 ears of 71 patients (male:female ratio, 35:36; mean age, 72.5 ± 12.3 years) met the eligibility criteria. Age, sex, and the use of furosemide were not correlated with changes in PTA threshold. Univariate analysis showed that ears with worse hearing were associated with a lower serum platelet count than ears without worse hearing (153 ± 85 × 109/L vs. 206 ± 85 × 109/L, respectively; P = 0.010), and the rate of planned ICU admission (elective surgery) was higher in the worse hearing group (57.1% vs. 28.8%, respectively; p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Age, sex, and the use of furosemide did not have adversely affect hearing function. Low serum platelet count and planned admission appear to be risk factors for worse hearing.

Efficacy and safety of antibiotic agents in children with COVID-19: a rapid review.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this review was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of antibiotic agents in children with COVID-19, as well as to introduce the present situation of antibiotics use and bacterial coinfections in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We searched Cochrane library, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, CBM, Wanfang Data and CNKI from their inception to March 31, 2020. In addition, we searched related studies on COVID-19 published before March 31, 2020 through Google Scholar. We evaluated the risk of bias of included studies, and synthesized the results using a qualitative synthesis. RESULTS: Six studies met our inclusion criteria. Five studies on SARS showed an overall risk of death of 7.2% to 20.0%. One study of SARS patients who used macrolides, quinolones or beta lactamases showed that the mean duration of hospital stay was 14.2, 13.8 and 16.2 days, respectively, and their average duration of fever was 14.3, 14.0 and 16.2 days, respectively. One cohort study on MERS indicated that macrolide therapy was not associated with a significant reduction in 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.84, 95% CI: 0.47-1.51, P=0.56) and improvement in MERS-CoV RNA clearance (adjusted HR 0.88, 95% CI: 0.47-1.64, P=0.68). According to the findings of 33 studies, the proportion of antibiotics use ranged from 19.4% to 100.0% in children and 13.2% to 100.0% in adults, despite the lack of etiological evidence. The most commonly used antibiotics in adults were quinolones, cephalosporins and macrolides and in children meropenem and linezolid. CONCLUSIONS: The benefits of antibiotic agents for adults with SARS or MERS were questionable in the absence of bacterial coinfections. There is no evidence to support the use of antibiotic agents for children with COVID-19 in the absence of bacterial coinfection.

Clinical characteristics of children with COVID-19: a rapid review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Most guidelines on COVID-19 published so far include recommendations for patients regardless of age. Clinicians need a more accurate understanding of the clinical characteristics of children with COVID-19. METHODS: We searched studies reporting clinical characteristics in children with COVID-19 published until March 31, 2020. We screened the literature, extracted the data and evaluated the risk of bias and quality of evidence of the included studies. We combined some of the outcomes (symptoms) in a single-arm meta-analysis using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Our search retrieved 49 studies, including 25 case reports, 23 case series and one cohort study, with a total of 1,667 patients. Our meta-analysis showed that most children with COVID-19 have mild symptoms. Eighty-three percent of the children were within family clusters of cases, and 19% had no symptoms. At least 7% with digestive symptoms. The main symptoms of children were fever [48%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 39%, 56%] and cough (39%, 95% CI: 30%, 48%). The lymphocyte count was below normal level in only 15% (95% CI: 8%, 22%) of children which is different from adult patients. 66% (95% CI: 55%, 77%) of children had abnormal findings in CT imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Most children with COVID-19 have only mild symptoms, and many children are asymptomatic. Fever and cough are the most common symptoms in children. Vomiting and diarrhea were not common in children. The lymphocyte count is usually within the normal range in children.

Supportive care for patient with respiratory diseases: an umbrella review.

BACKGROUND: Supportive treatment is an important and effective part of the management for patients with life-threatening diseases. This study aims to identify and evaluate the forms of supportive care for patients with respiratory diseases. METHODS: An umbrella review of supportive care for patient with respiratory diseases was undertaken. We comprehensively searched the following databases: Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wanfang Data and CBM (SinoMed) from their inception to 31 March 2020, and other sources to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to supportive treatments for patient with respiratory diseases including Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and influenza. We assessed the methodological quality using the AMSTAR score and the quality of the evidence for the primary outcomes of each included systematic review and meta-analysis. RESULTS: We included 18 systematic reviews and meta-analyses in this study. Most studies focused on the respiratory and circulatory support. Ten studies were of high methodological quality, five studies of medium quality, and three studies of low quality. According to four studies extracorporeal membrane oxygenation did not reduce mortality in adults [odds ratio/relative risk (OR/RR) ranging from 0.71 to 1.28], but two studies reported significantly lower mortality in patients receiving venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation than in the control group (OR/RR ranging from 0.38 to 0.73). Besides, monitoring of vital signs and increasing the number of medical staff may also reduce the mortality in patients with respiratory diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Our overview suggests that supportive care may reduce the mortality of patients with respiratory diseases to some extent. However, the quality of evidence for the primary outcomes in the included studies was low to moderate. Further systematic reviews and meta-analyses are needed to address the evidence gap regarding the supportive care for SARS, MERS and COVID-19.

Chest computed tomography for the diagnosis of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a rapid review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a massive impact on the whole world. Computed tomography (CT) has been widely used in the diagnosis of this novel pneumonia. This study aims to understand the role of CT for the diagnosis and the main imaging manifestations of patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted a rapid review and meta-analysis on studies about the use of chest CT for the diagnosis of COVID-19. We comprehensively searched databases and preprint servers on chest CT for patients with COVID-19 between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020. The primary outcome was the sensitivity of chest CT imaging. We also conducted subgroup analyses and evaluated the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: A total of 103 studies with 5,673 patients were included. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results as reference, a meta-analysis based on 64 studies estimated the sensitivity of chest CT imaging in COVID-19 was 99% (95% CI, 0.97-1.00). If case reports were excluded, the sensitivity in case series was 96% (95% CI, 0.93-0.99). The sensitivity of CT scan in confirmed patients under 18 years old was only 66% (95% CI, 0.15-1.00). The most common imaging manifestation was ground-glass opacities (GGO) which was found in 75% (95% CI, 0.68-0.82) of the patients. The pooled probability of bilateral involvement was 84% (95% CI, 0.81-0.88). The most commonly involved lobes were the right lower lobe (84%, 95% CI, 0.78-0.90) and left lower lobe (81%, 95% CI, 0.74-0.87). The quality of evidence was low across all outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this meta-analysis indicated that chest CT scan had a high sensitivity in diagnosis of patients with COVID-19. Therefore, CT can potentially be used to assist in the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Potential effectiveness and safety of antiviral agents in children with coronavirus disease 2019: a rapid review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak presents a new, life-threatening disease. Our aim was to assess the potential effectiveness and safety of antiviral agents for COVID-19 in children. METHODS: Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane library, CBM, CNKI, and Wanfang Data) from their inception to March 31, 2020 were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), clinical controlled trials and cohort studies of interventions with antiviral agents for children (less than 18 years of age) with COVID-19. RESULTS: A total of 23 studies with 6,008 patients were included. There was no direct evidence and all of evidence were indirect. The risks of bias in all studies were moderate to high in general. The effectiveness and safety of antiviral agents for children with COVID-19 is uncertain: For adults with COVID-19, lopinavir/ritonavir had no effect on mortality [risk ratio (RR) =0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.45 to 1.30]. Arbidol and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had no benefit on probability of negative PCR test (RR =1.27; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.73; RR =0.93; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.18) respectively. For adults with SARS, interferon was associated with reduced corticosteroid dose [weighted mean difference (WMD) = -0.14 g; 95% CI, -0.21 to -0.07] but had no effect on mortality (RR =0.72; 95% CI, 0.28 to 1.88); ribavirin did not reduce mortality (RR =0.68; 95% CI, 0.43 to 1.06) and was associated with high risk of severe adverse reactions; and oseltamivir had no effect on mortality (RR =0.87; 95% CI, 0.55 to 1.38). Ribavirin combined with interferon was also not effective in adults with MERS and associated with adverse reactions. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence showing the effectiveness of antiviral agents for children with COVID-19, and the clinical efficacy of existing antiviral agents is still uncertain. We do not suggest clinical routine use of antivirals for COVID-19 in children, with the exception of clinical trials.

Effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin for children with severe COVID-19: a rapid review.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is usually used as supportive therapy, but the treatment of COVID-19 by IVIG is controversial. This rapid review aims to explore the clinical effectiveness and safety of IVIG in the treatment of children with severe COVID-19. METHODS: We systematically searched the literature on the use of IVIG in patients with COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), including both adults and children. We assessed the risk of bias and quality of evidence and reported the main findings descriptively. RESULTS: A total of 1,519 articles were identified by initial literature search, and finally six studies met our inclusion criteria, included one randomized controlled trial (RCT), four case series and one case report involving 198 patients. One case series showed the survival of COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was not improved by IVIG. One case report showed high-dose IVIG could improve the outcome of COVID-19 adults. Three observational studies showed inconsistent results of the effect of IVIG on SARS patients. One RCT showed that IVIG did not reduce mortality or the incidence of nosocomial infection in adults with severe SARS. The quality of evidence was between low and very low. CONCLUSIONS: The existing evidence is insufficient to support the efficacy or safety of IVIG in the treatment of COVID-19.

Application of telemedicine during the coronavirus disease epidemics: a rapid review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: As COVID-19 has become a global pandemic, early prevention and control of the epidemic is extremely important. Telemedicine, which includes medical advice given over telephone, Internet, mobile phone applications or other similar ways, may be an efficient way to reduce transmission and pressure on medical institutions. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane, CBM, CNKI and Wanfang databases for literature on the use of telemedicine for COVID-19, SARS and MERS from their inception to March 31st, 2020. We included studies about the content of the consultation (such as symptoms, therapy and prevention, policy, public service), screening of suspected cases, the provision of advice given to those people who may have symptoms or contact history. We conducted meta-analyses on the main outcomes of the studies. RESULTS: A total of 2,041 articles were identified after removing duplicates. After reading the full texts, we finally included nine studies. People were most concerned about symptoms (64.2%), epidemic situation and public problems (14.5%), and psychological problems (10.3%) during COVID-19 epidemic. During the SARS epidemic, the proportions of people asking for consultation for symptoms, prevention and therapy, and psychological problems were 35.0%, 22.0%, and 23.0%, respectively. Two studies demonstrated that telemedicine can be used to screen the suspected patients and give advice. One study emphasized the limited possibilities to follow up people calling hotlines and difficulties in identifying all suspect cases. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine services should focus on the issues that the public is most concerned about, such as the symptoms, prevention and treatment of the disease, and provide reasonable advice to patients with symptoms or people with epidemic history.

Effectiveness and safety of glucocorticoids to treat COVID-19: a rapid review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids are widely used in the treatment of various pulmonary inflammatory diseases, but they are also often accompanied by significant adverse reactions. Published guidelines point out that low dose and short duration systemic glucocorticoid therapy may be considered for patients with rapidly progressing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while the evidence is still limited. METHODS: We comprehensively searched electronic databases and supplemented the screening by conducting a manual search. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies evaluating the effectiveness and safety of glucocorticoids in children and adults with COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and conducted meta-analyses of the main indicators that were identified in the studies. RESULTS: Our search retrieved 23 studies, including one RCT and 22 cohort studies, with a total of 13,815 patients. In adults with COVID-19, the use of systemic glucocorticoid did not reduce mortality [risk ratio (RR) =2.00, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69 to 5.75, I2=90.9%] or the duration of lung inflammation [weighted mean difference (WMD) =-1 days, 95% CI: -2.91 to 0.91], while a significant reduction was found in the duration of fever (WMD =-3.23 days, 95% CI: -3.56 to -2.90). In patients with SARS, glucocorticoids also did not reduce the mortality (RR =1.52, 95% CI: 0.89 to 2.60, I2=84.6%), duration of fever (WMD =0.82 days, 95% CI: -2.88 to 4.52, I2=97.9%) or duration of lung inflammation absorption (WMD =0.95 days, 95% CI: -7.57 to 9.48, I2=94.6%). The use of systemic glucocorticoid therapy prolonged the duration of hospital stay in all patients (COVID-19, SARS and MERS). CONCLUSIONS: Glucocorticoid therapy was found to reduce the duration of fever, but not mortality, duration of hospitalization or lung inflammation absorption. Long-term use of high-dose glucocorticoids increased the risk of adverse reactions such as coinfections, so routine use of systemic glucocorticoids for patients with COVID-19 cannot be recommend.

Public health education for parents during the outbreak of COVID-19: a rapid review.

BACKGROUND: It is well-known that public health education plays a crucial role in the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases, but how health providers should advise families and parents to obtain health education information is a challenging question. With coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreading around the world, this rapid review aims to answer that question and thus to promote evidence-based decision making in health education policy and practice. METHODS: We systematically searched the literature on health education during COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS) epidemics in Medline (via PubMed), Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Data from their inception until March 31, 2020. The potential bias of the studies was assessed by Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: Of 1,067 papers found, 24 cross-sectional studies with a total of 35,967 participants were included in this review. The general public lacked good knowledge of SARS and MERS at the early stage of epidemics. Some people's knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of COVID-19 had been improved, but the health behaviors of some special groups including children and their parents need to be strengthened. Negative emotions including fear and stigmatization occurred during the outbreaks. Reliable health information was needed to improve public awareness and mental health for infectious diseases. Health information from nonprofit, government and academic websites was more accurate than privately owned commercial websites and media websites. CONCLUSIONS: For educating and cultivating children, parents should obtain information from the official websites of authorities such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and national Centers for Disease Control, or from other sources endorsed by these authorities, rather than from a general search of the internet or social media.