Amisha Malhotra1, Marc Sturgill2, Patricia Whitley-Williams1, Yi-Horng Lee3, Chika Esochaghi4, Hariprem Rajasekhar5, Birk Olson3, Sunanda Gaur1. 1. From the Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. 2. Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Piscataway, NJ. 3. Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery. 4. Department of Pediatrics. 5. Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Medical student, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We describe the temporal pattern of COVID-19 admissions to a tertiary care children's hospital in central New Jersey during the SARS-CoV-2 surge, covering the time period from March 29 to July 26, 2020. METHODS: Medical charts were reviewed for the date of admission, past medical history, and demographic variables, presenting signs and symptoms, admitting laboratory values, diagnostic imaging, diagnosis, treatment modalities, and outcomes including length of stay and disease severity. RESULTS: Patients with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection tended to present with pneumonia early during the study period, which coincided with the early surge in New Jersey cases. Approximately 2 weeks after the peak in reported SARS-CoV-2 cases in New Jersey, we began to see fewer pneumonia cases and an increase in admissions for Multi-Inflammatory Syndrome in Children and cases of acute appendicitis in association with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSIONS: We present a novel association of acute appendicitis in children infected with SARS-CoV-2 and postulate that it may represent a postinfectious hyperinflammatory complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection occurring 2 weeks after the early manifestation of acute pneumonia disease in children.
BACKGROUND: We describe the temporal pattern of COVID-19 admissions to a tertiary care children's hospital in central New Jersey during the SARS-CoV-2 surge, covering the time period from March 29 to July 26, 2020. METHODS: Medical charts were reviewed for the date of admission, past medical history, and demographic variables, presenting signs and symptoms, admitting laboratory values, diagnostic imaging, diagnosis, treatment modalities, and outcomes including length of stay and disease severity. RESULTS: Patients with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection tended to present with pneumonia early during the study period, which coincided with the early surge in New Jersey cases. Approximately 2 weeks after the peak in reported SARS-CoV-2 cases in New Jersey, we began to see fewer pneumonia cases and an increase in admissions for Multi-Inflammatory Syndrome in Children and cases of acute appendicitis in association with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSIONS: We present a novel association of acute appendicitis in children infected with SARS-CoV-2 and postulate that it may represent a postinfectious hyperinflammatory complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection occurring 2 weeks after the early manifestation of acute pneumonia disease in children.
Authors: Yike Jiang; Steven C Mehl; Ella E Hawes; Allison S Lino; Kristy L Rialon; Kristy O Murray; Shannon E Ronca Journal: Pediatr Infect Dis J Date: 2022-07-13 Impact factor: 3.806