Demographic Characteristics, Clinical Features, Laboratory, and Radiological Findings in Children Admitted to COVID۱۹ Center in Amara City, Misan Province, Iraq

Background:Most pediatric patients with covid ۱۹ had mild to moderate infection and some had severe challenging infection. Generally, they had variable signs and symptoms, laboratory, and radiological findings correlated with the patient age, the involved system, disease severity and probably any underlying disease.Aim:To identify the most common clinical features, the frequency of positive radiological findings, and laboratory results of the infected children hospitalized in Misan COVID-۱۹ Center.Materials and method:A retrospective descriptive with some analytic study applied on ۱۰۰ pediatric patients in the age range of (۰-۱۶) years, diagnosed with COVID-۱۹ or were highly suspected cases, depending on clinical findings, laboratory tests, COVID-۱۹ RT-PCR and/or chest (X-ray + CT), whom were admitted to the Pediatric Covid -۱۹ Center in Amara City, Iraq during the time period of (February-June, ۲۰۲۱). Their medical records were reviewed for demographic information, (gender, age, and residence), medical history, clinical examination, laboratory and imaging studies, (X-ray + CT), O saturation, the duration of illness before admission of any underlying chronic diseases as well as the most common presenting signs and symptoms.Results:Children infected slightly more in the age range of (۵-۱۰ years), boys slightly more infected than girls as (۵۴%) and (۴۶%), respectively. The urban residents suffered more than the rural ones, ۴% of all cases had low O۲ saturation. Fever and malaise were the most common presenting symptoms as (۹۳%) and (۶۸%), respectively. The illness duration before hospitalization commonly was (<۵days), (RT-PCR) was negative in ۴۵% of patients, ۵۴% had anemia with or without leukopenia and lymphopenia, CTs were positive in (۶۲%) and CXR was positive in (۵۳%), while the underlying chronic diseases were found in (۲۳%) of the cases.Conclusion: Children of ages between (۵-<۱۰ years) were slightly more infected than others, fever, malaise, and cough were the most common manifestations, the urban predominance is high, and half of patients had anemia about one third and had lymphopenia. Likewise, one forth had thrombocytopenia, negative Covid-۱۹ (RT-PCR), and/or CXR. The CT results did not exclude infection. Thus, we need further local studies to support our results.

Keywords:

Pediatric COVID-۱۹ , LDH , S. Ferritin , RT-PCR