TITLE:
COVID-19 Related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children: A Case Series from a Tertiary Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
AUTHORS:
Mona Jawish, Alaa Şeyhibrahim, Shadia Ahmed, Elsharif Bazie, Azzam Alabdulqader, Mohammed Al Awad, Yara Al Goraini
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19, MIS-C, SARS-Cov2, Pediatric, Emergency
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.12 No.5,
November
14,
2022
ABSTRACT: Introduction: We report an eight-case series of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in
children (MIS-C). Methods: Children who tested positive for
COVID-19, met the
MIS-C criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO), and were hospitalized at a tertiary
hospital in Riyadh from September to December 2021 were identified and their
clinical data reviewed. Results: The age at diagnosis is between 4 to 13 years old.
Fever, decreased oral intake, gastroenteritis, and abdominal pain were the most
common symptoms. All cases showed hyperinflammation with high C-reactive
protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ferritin levels, and deranged
coagulation profiles. Most of the cases had elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (75%) and troponin (100%) levels. However, two
cases had cardiovascular involvement. Two patients presented with acute
respiratory distress syndrome and required mechanical ventilation. The mean
hospital stay was 13.1 days, with seven patients initially requiring
intensive care management for ionotropic support. Most cases required
broad-spectrum antibiotics, intravenous steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin,
and aspirin. All patients recovered and were discharged from the hospital in
good clinical condition. Conclusion: Children with COVID-19 are at risk
of developing MIS-C. Practitioners must have a high index of suspicion for its
diagnosis and should start treatment as soon as possible to prevent unfavorable
outcomes.