Evaluation of the Frequency of Asthma Attack and Disease Severity in Children in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Year 2024, Volume: 18 Issue: 4, 211 - 217, 22.07.2024

Funda Kurt , Halise Akça , Ayla Akca Çağlar , Azize Pınar Metbulut , Şule Büyük Yaytokgil , Gülsüm İclal Bayhan , Emine Dibek Mısırlıoğlu

https://doi.org/10.12956/tchd.1433881

Abstract

Objective: As with any lower respiratory tract infection, it is thought that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection may trigger asthma attacks, and the infection may be more severe in patients with asthma. The objective of this study was to establish the incidence of COVID-19 in children with asthma and to assess the disease severity in this patient group.

Material and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who were admitted to the pediatric emergency clinic at our hospital between March and December 2020 with asthma attacks. The patients underwent a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test to diagnose COVID-19.

Results: The study involved 155 patients, with 85 (54.8%) being male and the median age (IQR) was 122.0 (66.0- 163.0) months. The most common symptoms presented by these patients were cough (70.3%), fever (39.4%), and dyspnea (29.7%). Within the patients who required hospitalisation, 18 (81.8%) were diagnosed with moderate attack and 4 (18.2%) with severe attack (p< 0.001). Of the patients who were hospitalised, 10 (45.5%) were partially controlled and 8 (36.4%) were uncontrolled with respect to their medical condition (p<0.001). In the study, COVID-19 was detected in 22 (14.2%) out of 155 patients. According to the diagnosis of COVID-19, there was no difference in the severity of attacks or the requirement for ward hospitalization (p=0.633, p=0.288, respectively).

Conclusion: COVID-19 infection does not increase the severity of asthma attacks or the need for hospitalization in children. This information is particularly important in the context of pediatric emergency care for asthma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

pediatric emergency, asthma, COVID-19

COVİD-19 Pandemisinde Çocuklarda Astım Atağı Sıklığı ve Hastalık Şiddetinin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Her türlü alt solunum yolu enfeksiyonunda olduğu gibi, koronavirus hastalığı 2019 (COVİD-19) enfeksiyonunun da, astım ataklarını tetiklenebileceği ve astımı olan hastalarda enfeksiyonun daha ağır geçebileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu çalışmada COVİD-19 hastalığının astımlı çocuklardaki sıklığının saptanması ve bu hastalardaki hastalık şiddetinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır.

Gereç ve Yöntemler: Hastanemiz çocuk acil kliniğine Mart- Aralık 2020 tarihleri arasında astım atağı ile başvurmuş ve COVİD-19 tanısı için gerçek zamanlı polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu (RT-PCR) testi bakılmış hastalar geriye dönük olarak incelendi.

Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan 155 hastanın 85’i (%54.8) erkek cinsiyette ve ortanca yaş (IQR), 122.0 (66.0- 163.0)’dı. En sık başvuru şikayetlerinin öksürük (%70.3), ateş (%39.4) ve nefes darlığı (%29.7) olduğu belirlendi. Hastaneye yatışı yapılan hastaların 18’i (%81.8) orta atak, 4’ü (%18.2) ağır atak olarak değerlendirildi (p< 0.001). Yatış yapılan hastaların 10’u (% 45.5) kısmi kontrollü, 8’i (%36.4) kontrolsüzdü (p< 0.001). Çalışmaya alınan 155 hastanın 22’sinde (%14.2) COVİD-19 saptandı. Hastaların COVİD-19 tanısına göre atak şiddetinde ve servis yatış ihtiyacında farklılık saptanmadı (sırasıyla p=0.633, p=0.288).

Sonuç: COVİD-19 enfeksiyonunun çocuklarda astım atak şiddetini ve hastaneye yatış ihtiyacını arttırmadığı saptanmıştır. COVİD-19 pandemisi sırasında astım hastaları için çocuk acil servis değerlendirmesinde bu durum önemlidir.

Keywords

Çocuk acil, astım, COVİD-19

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