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2023

ANUÁRIO DO HOSPITAL
DONA ESTEFÂNIA

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CORONAVIRUS IN A PEDIATRIC POPULATION

Pedro Oom Costa1, Rita Corte Real2, Maria João Brito1

1 - Unidade de Infecciologia, Área de Pediatria Médica, Hospital Dona Estefânia, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisboa
2 - Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Hospital São José, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisboa

- WSPID 2018

Introdução
Human coronaviruses (HCoV) are a group of emerging viruses capable of infecting children more frequently than adults. HCoV essentially cause respiratory and enteric disease in humans.
Objetivos
To characterize coronavirus infection in the pediatric population.
Métodos
Descriptive study of coronavirus infection in children hospitalized between 2015 and 2016. HCoV RNA was detected by RT-PCR of respiratory secretions. Demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters were studied.
Resultados
45 (3,7%) of 1222 samples were positive: HCoV-OC43 (23), HCoV-229E (9), HCoV-NL63 (9), HCoV-HKU1 (2) and non identified HCoV (2) with median age of 2 years at admission. Peak detection occurred in February and March 2016 (20%). 18/45 (40%) cases were in children with underlying chronic disease: neurological disease (5), respiratory disease (3), congenital heart disease (3), and others (7). The diagnosis were upper respiratory infection (18), bronchiolitis (10), acute otitis media (7), pneumonia (5), gastroenteritis (2), conjunctivitis (2) and febrile convulsion (1). 15/45 (33%) children developed complications: hypoxemia (13) and acute respiratory insufficiency (2). One child was admitted to the ICU. Co-infection occurred in 35 (77,8%) cases: adenovirus (11), rhinovirus (10), RSV (8), bocavirus (6), influenza A/B (5), metapneumovirus (4), parechovirus (3), parainfluenza (3) and enterovirus (1). The median duration of hospitalization was 8 days. HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1 infections occurred in underlying chronic disease (39%). HCoV NL63 was the virus most associated with complications (33%).
Conclusões
HCoVs were infrequently detected in the studied population but may have significant complications and occurred frequently in chronic disease. The role of coinfections is not yet well established.

Palavras Chave: children, chronic disease, coronavirus