RESUMO
The EPICO (Spanish general registry of COVID-19 in children)-SEHOP (Spanish Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology) platform gathers data from children with SARS-CoV-2 in Spain, allowing comparison between children with cancer or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) and those without. The infection is milder in the cancer/alloHSCT group than in children without comorbidities (7.1% vs. 14.7%), except in children with recent alloHSCT (less than 300 days), of which 35.7% experienced severe COVID-19. These data have been shared with the SEHOP members to support treatment and isolation policies akin to those for children without cancer, except for those with recent alloHSCT or additional comorbidities. This highlights the collaborative registries potential in managing pandemic emergencies.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Comorbidade , Transplante de Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas , Neoplasias , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiologia , COVID-19/complicações , Criança , Masculino , Adolescente , Feminino , Pré-Escolar , Fatores de Risco , Neoplasias/epidemiologia , Neoplasias/terapia , Lactente , Espanha/epidemiologia , Sistema de Registros , Transplante HomólogoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Since the end of 2023, an elevated incidence and severity of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections among children in Asia has been noted. Subsequently, this trend was observed in several European countries although limited data are currently available. We conducted a national study to delineate the ongoing M. pneumoniae outbreak in our country. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective observational study was conducted across 32 hospitals in Spain, encompassing patients under 18 years old hospitalized for M. pneumoniae infection from January 2023 to March 2024. Infection was confirmed by positive polymerase chain reaction and/or by 2 serological tests. RESULTS: A total of 623 children were included, with 79% of cases diagnosed in the final 3 months of the study period. Pneumonia was the most common diagnosis (87%). Respiratory symptoms were present in 97% of cases, with 62% requiring oxygen supplementation and 14% requiring admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Risk factors for PICU admission included the presence of neurological symptoms, hypoxemia and a history of prematurity. Children admitted to the PICU exhibited significantly higher neutrophil counts upon admission. CONCLUSIONS: We have observed a notable increase in hospital admissions, including PICU support by up to 14%, due to M. pneumoniae infection in our country since November 2023, indicative of a more severe clinical course associated with this pathogen.