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J Pediatr Intensive Care 2022; 11(01): 048-053
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1735493
Original Article

Evaluation of Suspected COVID-19 Patients in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Halise Akça 
1   Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey
2   Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Funda Kurt 
2   Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Ayla Akça Çağlar 
2   Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Ahmet Alptuğ Güngör 
3   Department of Pediatrics, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Aylin Irmak Kuruç 
3   Department of Pediatrics, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Esma Büşra Gacal 
3   Department of Pediatrics, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Simge Gişi 
3   Department of Pediatrics, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Saliha Kanık-Yüksek 
4   Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Halil İbrahim Yakut 
3   Department of Pediatrics, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Emine Dibek Mısırlıoğlu 
2   Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Emrah Şenel 
5   Department of Pediatric Surgery, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
6   Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Erratum: Evaluation of Suspected COVID-19 Patients in a Pediatric Emergency DepartmentJ Pediatr Intensive Care 2022; 11(01): e1-e1
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1758143

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now a global pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of COVID-19 in pediatric patients and to compare the characteristics of positive and negative patients. This study conducted from March to May 2020 in a tertiary children's hospital. Patients were included if they were under 18 years old and a SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test had been performed. Of the 1,812 patients included in the study, 365 (20.1%) were positive for COVID-19. The median age was 102 months in the positive group, 70 months in the negative group (p < 0.001). The sex distribution was almost equal. Nearly all positive patients had been in close contact with a COVID-19 infected family household member (p < 0.001). The most common symptoms were fever (54.4%) and cough (38.6%). The asymptomatic patient rate was higher in the positive group (p < 0.001). Lymphopenia (<1500/mm3) was found in 29.9% of the positive children (p = 0.005). When the groups were compared, white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet counts; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; and C-reactive protein level were lower in the positive group. Chest radiography was performed in 95.3% of the positive patients, and the results of 29.7% of them were interpreted as pathological (p < 0.001). Most of the pediatric patients had a history of contact with COVID-19 positive individuals, and therefore, the diagnosis is generally suspected from a history of household exposure to COVID-19. Lymphopenia can help predict positivity. Awareness, reinforcing infection control measures, and performing health management within families are important steps to manage these patients.

Keywords

children - COVID-19 - pediatric emergency department - pandemic


Publication History

Received: 24 May 2021

Accepted: 28 July 2021

Article published online:
07 September 2021

© 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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