Prevalence and Risk Factors of Neurologic Manifestations in Hospitalized Children Diagnosed with Acute SARS-CoV-2 or MIS-C. Pediatr Neurol 2022 Mar;128:33-44
Date
01/24/2022Pubmed ID
35066369Pubmed Central ID
PMC8713420DOI
10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2021.12.010Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85122662722 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 52 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Our objective was to characterize the frequency, early impact, and risk factors for neurological manifestations in hospitalized children with acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).
METHODS: Multicenter, cross-sectional study of neurological manifestations in children aged <18 years hospitalized with positive SARS-CoV-2 test or clinical diagnosis of a SARS-CoV-2-related condition between January 2020 and April 2021. Multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors for neurological manifestations was performed.
RESULTS: Of 1493 children, 1278 (86%) were diagnosed with acute SARS-CoV-2 and 215 (14%) with MIS-C. Overall, 44% of the cohort (40% acute SARS-CoV-2 and 66% MIS-C) had at least one neurological manifestation. The most common neurological findings in children with acute SARS-CoV-2 and MIS-C diagnosis were headache (16% and 47%) and acute encephalopathy (15% and 22%), both P < 0.05. Children with neurological manifestations were more likely to require intensive care unit (ICU) care (51% vs 22%), P < 0.001. In multivariable logistic regression, children with neurological manifestations were older (odds ratio [OR] 1.1 and 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07 to 1.13) and more likely to have MIS-C versus acute SARS-CoV-2 (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.45 to 3.24), pre-existing neurological and metabolic conditions (OR 3.48, 95% CI 2.37 to 5.15; and OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.66, respectively), and pharyngeal (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.64) or abdominal pain (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.00); all P < 0.05.
CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter study, 44% of children hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2-related conditions experienced neurological manifestations, which were associated with ICU admission and pre-existing neurological condition. Posthospital assessment for, and support of, functional impairment and neuroprotective strategies are vitally needed.
Author List
Fink EL, Robertson CL, Wainwright MS, Roa JD, Lovett ME, Stulce C, Yacoub M, Potera RM, Zivick E, Holloway A, Nagpal A, Wellnitz K, Czech T, Even KM, Brunow de Carvalho W, Rodriguez IS, Schwartz SP, Walker TC, Campos-Miño S, Dervan LA, Geneslaw AS, Sewell TB, Pryce P, Silver WG, Lin JE, Vargas WS, Topjian A, Alcamo AM, McGuire JL, Domínguez Rojas JA, Muñoz JT, Hong SJ, Muller WJ, Doerfler M, Williams CN, Drury K, Bhagat D, Nelson A, Price D, Dapul H, Santos L, Kahoud R, Francoeur C, Appavu B, Guilliams KP, Agner SC, Walson KH, Rasmussen L, Janas A, Ferrazzano P, Farias-Moeller R, Snooks KC, Chang CH, Yun J, Schober ME, Global Consortium Study of Neurologic Dysfunction in COVID-19 (GCS-NeuroCOVID) InvestigatorsAuthors
Raquel Farias-Moeller MD Associate Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of WisconsinKellie C. Snooks DO Assistant Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Acute DiseaseAdolescent
Brain Diseases
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Headache
Humans
Infant
Intensive Care Units, Pediatric
Logistic Models
Male
Nervous System Diseases
Prevalence
Risk Factors
South America
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
United States