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Springer Nature - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Springer Nature - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2021 Jun 28;58(10):955–958. doi: 10.1007/s13312-021-2330-3

Clinical Spectrum of Children With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Jolly Chandran 1, Ebor Jacob James 1,, Valsan P Verghese 2, T Sathish Kumar 3, E Kala Ranjini Sundaravalli 1, Siva Vyasam 1
PMCID: PMC8549596  PMID: 34183466

Abstract

Objectives

To compare the clinical profile, treatment, and outcomes of PCR-positive and PCR-negative antibody-positive critically ill children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C).

Methods

This retrospective observational study was done at a tertiary care coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pediatric intensive care unit in India. The baseline characteristics, clinical profile, treatment, and outcomes in seventeen critically ill children diagnosed with MIS-C were analyzed from 1 July to 31 October, 2020.

Results

Sixteen out of 17 children presented with hypotensive shock and respiratory distress. Mean (SD) age of PCR-negative antibody-positive and PCR-positive children was 11 (4.4) and 5 (3.7) years, respectively (P=0.007). The former group had significantly higher mean (SD) D-dimer levels [16,651 (14859) ng/mL vs 3082 (2591) ng/mL; P=0.02]. All received intensive care management and steroid therapy; 7 children received intravenous immunoglobulin. 14 children survived and 3 died.

Conclusions

The outcome of children with MIS-C was good if recognized early and received intensive care.

Keywords: COVID-19, Hypotensive shock, Respiratory distress, Steroids

Acknowledgements

Drs. Najumal Hussain, Anna Simon and Leni Mathew were involved in the clinical care of patients studied. Dr. Grace Rebekah for her help in statistical analysis and Dr. Mahesh Moorthy, Clinical Virology for his help in providing the SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody levels.

Footnotes

Ethics clearance

Institutional Research Board, CMC Vellore; No. 13521, dated October 28, 2020.

Contributors

C, EJJ: conception and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data; JC, EJJ, VPV, SKT: drafting the article, revising it critically for important intellectual content; JC, EJJ, VPV, SKT, KR, SV: final approval of the version to be submitted and any revised version to be published.

Funding

None

Competing interests

None stated.

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