Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Admissions during the Covid-19 Pandemics

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 causes a rapidly severe respiratory tract infection as the global pandemics. All countries raise preventive measures and surveillance. Child health is affected by this disruption and causes a change in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)
admission.
Objective: To review the PICU admission characteristics, diagnoses, and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemics
Methods: The retrospective cohort study was investigated in the children aged 1 month15 years old admitted in PICU, Khon Kaen Hospital during 2019 and 2020. We compared the data of PICU admission before (from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019), and
after (from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020) the COVID-19 pandemics.
Results: The total PICU admission in 2019 and 2020 were 387 and 317 cases, respectively with 18% reduction, mostly male, and median age of 2 year (IQR 0.8-8) and 1 year (IQR 0.4-5), respectively (P = 0.001). Admission for pneumonia, status epilepticus,
dengue shock syndrome, and acute renal failure significantly decreased, although admission for congenital heart disease, and acute bronchiolitis increased. The percentages of intubation and mechanical ventilation were decreased (91% vs 82%, P<0.001), while post-operative percentages were increased (17% vs 27%, P = 0.002). However, the PICU length of stay, treatment outcomes, and mortality rate were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: PICU admission during the Covid-19 pandemics had a reduction of 18%with decreased median age of patients, altered pattern of diagnosis, and decreasedpercentage of intubation and mechanical ventilation. However, the treatment outcomes and mortality rate were not different.