ABSTRACT
RESUMEN El objetivo del presente estudio fue describir las características de los pacientes pediátricos (entre 28 días y 14 años) hospitalizados con COVID-19 durante la tercera ola (variante ómicron) en el Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (HNERM) (Lima, Perú). En esta cohorte retrospectiva, se revisaron las historias clínicas de 122 pacientes pediátricos que fueron atendidos en el HNERM entre enero e inicios de abril del 2022 (55% varones, mediana de edad de 5 años), 77,9% durante el primer mes, y la mitad presentaron alguna comorbilidad. Se hospitalizaron principalmente por dificultad respiratoria, comorbilidad descompensada y deshidratación. El 6,6% ingresaron a cuidados intensivos, 4,9% a ventilación mecánica invasiva, 5,7% requirieron algún vasoactivo y 1,6% fallecieron. Los fármacos más usados fueron antibióticos (43,4%) y corticoides (27,1%). En conclusión, se encontró un incremento rápido de hospitalizaciones en comparación con las olas anteriores, la mayoría con evolución favorable, y con un amplio uso empírico de antibióticos.
ABSTRACT This study aimed to describe the characteristics of pediatric patients (28 days to 14 years of age) hospitalized with COVID-19 during the third wave of the pandemic (omicron variant) at the Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (HNERM) (Lima, Peru). In this retrospective cohort, we reviewed the medical records of 122 pediatric patients who attended HNERM between January and early April 2022 (55% male, median age: 5 years); 77.9% attended HNERM during the first month, and half of them had some comorbidity. Participants were hospitalized mainly for respiratory distress, decompensated comorbidity, and dehydration. Of the participants, 6.6% were admitted to intensive care, 4.9% to invasive mechanical ventilation, 5.7% required some vasoactive agent and 1.6% died. The most commonly used drugs were antibiotics (43.4%) and corticosteroids (27.1%). In conclusion, hospitalizations rapidly increased during the third wave, when compared to previous waves, most of them with favorable progression and with a wide empirical use of antibiotics.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Child , Hospitalization , Intensive Care UnitsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Stimulation in early childhood can alleviate adverse effects of poverty. In a community-randomised trial, we implemented 2 home-based interventions, each serving as an attention control for the other. One group received an integrated household intervention package (IHIP), whereas the other group received an early child development (ECD) intervention. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of IHIP on diarrhoea and respiratory infections, the details of which are described elsewhere. Here, we present the impact of the ECD intervention on early childhood development indicators. METHODS: In this non-blinded community-randomised trial, an ECD intervention, adapted from the Peruvian government's National Wawa Wasi ECD programme, was implemented in 25 rural Peruvian Andean communities. We enrolled 534 children aged 6-35â months, from 50 communities randomised 1:1 into ECD and IHIP communities. In ECD communities, trained fieldworkers instructed mothers every 3â weeks over the 12â months study, to stimulate and interact with their children and to use standard programme toys. IHIP communities received an improved stove and hygiene promotion. Using a nationally validated ECD evaluation instrument, all children were assessed at baseline and 12â months later for overall performance on age-specific developmental milestones which fall into 7 developmental domains. FINDINGS: At baseline, ECD-group and IHIP-group children performed similarly in all domains. After 12â months, data from 258 ECD-group and 251 IHIP-group children could be analysed. The proportion of children scoring above the mean in their specific age group was significantly higher in the ECD group in all domains (range: 12-23%-points higher than IHIP group). We observed the biggest difference in fine motor skills (62% vs 39% scores above the mean, OR: 2.6, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.9). CONCLUSIONS: The home-based ECD intervention effectively improved child development overall across domains and separately by investigated domain. Home-based strategies could be a promising component of poverty alleviation programmes seeking to improve developmental outcomes among rural Peruvian children. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN28191222; results.
