Naslov
Impact of COVID19 pandemic on the characteristics of infants hospitalized due to acute lower respiratory infections: Single center experience

Autori
Markić, Joško ; Mrčela, Dina

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Zbornik radova / Konstantinidis, Geogrios - Novi Sad : Udruženje pedijatara Srbije, 2022, 127-128

ISBN
978-86-85527-30-2

Skup
4. kongres pedijatara Srbije

Mjesto i datum
Vrdnik, Srbija, 29.09.2022. - 02.10.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
infants, COVID19, respiratory syncytial virus, acute lower respiratory infection

Sažetak
Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in young children. It is estimated that globally in 2019, there were 33 million RSV-associated ALRI in children aged < 5 years. In infants aged 0–6 months, there were 1, 4 million RSV-associated ALRI hospital admissions, and 13.300 RSV-associated in-hospital deaths. It can be said that that there is the substantial unmeasured burden of RSV mortality, with one in every 28 deaths in children aged 28 days–6 months attributable to RSV. COVID–19 pandemic was declared in March 2020. The whole world implemented various protective measures to reduce social contacts, along with numerous non- pharmaceutical interventions. Those interventions also had impact on the spreading of other respiratory infections worldwide. Aim: The aim of this study is to present demographic and clinical characteristics of infants hospitalized in the Department of Pediatrics of the University Hospital of Split due to ALRI before and during COVID19 pandemic. Subjects and methods: A retrospective study was conducted. Hospitalized infants with diagnosis of ALRI treated in period from January 1st 2018 to December 31st 2021 were included. Total number of infants, number of RSV tested and RSV positive infants, severity of clinical presentation, along with demographic characteristics, antibiotic use and length of hospitalization were analyzed. Results: The study included 669 patients, out of whom 364 (54.4%) were hospitalized during pre- pandemic and 305 (45.6%) during pandemic period. Non-pharmaceutical interventions during pandemic led to a decline in incidence of ALRI as well as changes in the seasonality of RSV. A significant difference was found between groups regarding various age subgroups (P<0.001). The number of RSV tested infants was 277 (90.8%) during pandemic and 271 (74.4%) in pre-pandemic period. A number of RSV positive infants was 136 (50.3%) in pre- pandemic and 126 (45.6%) in pandemic period. A significant difference was found in total number of the RSV tested (P<0.001) but not RSV positive (P=0.240) infants. In both periods, most infants developed mild illness. However, during COVID19 pandemic an increase in the number of infants with severe or very severe illness was found with significant difference regarding severity of the infection (P=0.014). Antibiotics were frequently used in both pre-pandemic and pandemic period (87, 4% and 88, 9%, respectively) without significant difference (P=0, 554). The length of hospitalization before pandemic was 5.99 ± 3.60 and during pandemic 6.97 ± 4.19 days. A statistically significant difference in length of hospitalization between these two period was found (P<0.001). Conclusion: Implementation of strict epidemiological measures and non-pharmaceutical interventions, including lockdown, changed the seasonality of RSV as one of the most common cause of ALRI in children. Delayed RSV season and the occurrence of RSV positive infants during summer and early autumn months were found. Also, during pandemic a decline of ALRI hospitalized infants was found, however with the higher number of infants with severe and very severe illness along with longer duration of hospitalization.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti

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