Characteristics and Outcomes of Children With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection Admitted to a Quaternary Hospital: A Single-Center Experience

Objectives In the setting of the recent global pandemic, children infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presented to our hospital with a variety of symptoms ranging from mild to severe disease including multiorgan dysfunction. Our objective was to study the clinical profile, risk factors, complications, and outcomes in pediatric patients admitted to our center with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods This retrospective observational study was conducted at a large quaternary center in Riyadh between May 2020 and September 2021. The study population was comprised of children between 0 and ≤14 years with SARS-CoV-2 suspicion or positivity. Results One hundred and fifty-six children were included in the study, the majority of whom were 1-10 years old. One hundred and twenty of them (76.93%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive. Fifty-nine patients (37.18%) were labelled as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) based on clinical and lab criteria, of whom 35 (22.44%) tested SARS-CoV-2 positive. Hematological disease was found to be the most common comorbidity, followed by neurological and chronic lung diseases. The most common symptoms encountered were fever, cough, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea. Eighty patients (51%) required pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission (length of stay: 5-12 days), among whom 32 (40%) required ventilation, 26 (32.5%) needed hemodynamic support, and three patients (3.75%) underwent continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). The overall mortality rate was 4.5% (seven patients) among the studied population. The most frequent lab abnormalities were found to be elevated serum ferritin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. Ninety-one percent received antibiotics, and prophylactic anticoagulant was used in 32%. In the MIS-C subset, 80.5% received steroids, 71.43% intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and 5.17% (three patients) tocilizumab. Conclusion The SARS-CoV-2 infection presented with a range of severity among our cohort of children; however, most of the patients responded well to appropriate supportive treatment. A slight male preponderance was noted. The most common symptoms encountered were fever, cough, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea. Inflammatory markers such as ESR, CRP, serum ferritin, and LDH levels were found to be elevated in nearly all patients. Raised serum lactate and serum creatinine and lymphopenia were of significant note in patients with MIS-C. Higher mortality rates were observed in patients with MIS-C and those requiring respiratory support. In addition to these two factors, the presence of comorbidities and the need for CRRT were associated with prolonged PICU length of stay.