Examination of Radiological Findings and Clinical Parameters in Paediatric Patients with Covid-19

Abstract

Objective: It was aimed to evaluate the relationship between imaging techniques and clinical and laboratory parameters in paediatric COVID-19 patients. Methods: Our study included 187 patients under the age of 18 whose diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed by PCR test. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological imaging findings of the patients were reviewed retrospectively from their file records. Results: 57.2% of the patients were male and the mean age was 110.1±67.4 months. A pulmonary finding associated with COVID-19 was detected in 21 (12%) of 175 patients who underwent Posterior-anterior (PA) chest X-ray. The most common findings were consolidation (n=16; 9.1%), bilateral ground-glass appearance (n=11; 6.3%), and atelectasis (n=5; 2.9%), respectively. Computed lung tomography was performed in 67 of the patients. The presence of a pulmonary finding associated with COVID-19 was detected in 28 (41.8%) of these patients. The three most common findings were consolidation (n=16; 23.9%), bilateral ground glass appearance (n=16; 23.9%), and atelectasis (n=15; 22.4%), respectively. It was determined that for patients with imaging findings on PA X-ray needed more paediatric intensive care, the length of their hospital stay was longer, comorbid diseases were present, their cough and tachypnea complaints were more pronounced (p<0.05). As the disease severity increased, especially in patients <1 year of age, the frequency of significant findings increased in both imaging methods (p<0.05). Conclusion: We think that imaging methods can be performed when necessary in children with suspected COVID-19 and can provide preliminary information about the course and severity of the disease.

Keywords

• Computed Tomography
• COVID-19
• Paediatrics
• Radiological findings
• X ray

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