Otolaryngology manifestations of COVID-19 in pediatric patients.

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol

Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Published: May 2021

AI Article Synopsis

  • The study highlights the effects of COVID-19 on pediatric patients, particularly focusing on otolaryngology symptoms.
  • Approximately 43.6% of the 660 pediatric patients had asymptomatic infections, while common symptoms included fever (39.2%), cough (19.8%), sore throat (17.3%), and rhinorrhea (14.4%).
  • Younger children (3-6 years) experienced higher rates of hospital admissions and mortality compared to older children, but overall, COVID-19 in kids showed a milder course than in adults.

Article Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has affected millions of people since its outbreak in December 2019. Limited data exist on otolaryngology manifestations of COVID-19 in pediatrics. This study aims to discuss the clinical features of COVID-19 in pediatrics, with an emphasis on otolaryngology manifestations.

Methods: The study included 660 COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed positive pediatric patients (aged 3-15 years) diagnosed at King Abdullah Specialist Children Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were retrospectively retrieved from January to July 2020 from electronic medical records and included patients' epidemiological and clinical features. Patients were then followed-up via phone calls to document any symptoms encountered after the first visit. Patients were categorized into three main groups according to age (3-6 years, 7-10 years, 11-15 years).

Results: Nearly half of the patients (43.6%) had asymptomatic infections. Fever and cough were the most commonly reported manifestations accounting for 39.2% and 19.8%, respectively. The most frequently reported otolaryngology symptoms were sore throat (17.3%) and rhinorrhea (14.4%). Moreover, 10.4% and 13.1% of children aged 7-15 years old experienced smell and taste disturbances, respectively. Older children (11-15 years) were more likely to report taste disturbances when compared to the younger children (17.2% vs 9.8%, p-value 0.02). Children aged between 3 and 6 years had significantly higher rates of admission (13.7%) and mortality (0.9%) when compared to the older groups (p-value 0.00).

Conclusion: COVID-19 in pediatrics has a milder disease course and a better prognosis than adults. Multiple otolaryngology symptoms were reported in pediatric patients with COVID-19, which can help identify the suspected cases before the test result.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8011029PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2021.110701DOI Listing

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