Pediatric Infection and Vaccine

The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (대한소아감염학회)
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Obesity Is a Related Factor With Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia in Children: A Case Series

  • Kim, Dong Joon (Gyeongsang Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Song, EunHyang (Department of Neurology, SeoBuk Seoul Metropolitan Hospital) ;
  • Jeon, Kyung Nyeo (Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Park, Su Eun (Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Seo, Ji-Hyun (Gyeongsang Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine)
  • Received : 2021.12.29
  • Accepted : 2022.05.30
  • Published : 2022.08.25
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Abstract

A small proportion of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) develop severe pneumonia. We reported the severe COVID-19 pneumonia in children aged <18 years with COVID-19 treated with remdesivir and dexamethasone from August 2021 to November 2021 by a retrospective review of their medical records. Eight children were included (5 males and 3 females). Their median age was 16 years (range: 9 to 17 years) and their median body mass index was 30.5 kg/m2 (range: 22.8-38.5 kg/m2). All patients had fever and dyspnea with hypoxia. Chest radiographic findings were variable and included diffuse or multifocal consolidation, nodules, and ground-glass opacities in the lungs. After receiving intravenous remdesivir and dexamethasone, 7 of the 8 children experienced an improvement in their symptoms within 2 days. In our case series, obesity was present in 6 out of 8 children with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

소아청소년에서 코로나바이러스 감염증(coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19)은 성인에 비해 증상이 심하지 않은 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구는 2021년 8월부터 11월 사이에 COVID-19으로 진단받은 후 고열과 호흡곤란이 동반되어 입원치료를 받았던 18세 미만의 소아청소년 환자 중 산소 공급에도 불구하고 지속적인 호흡곤란과 저산소증으로 항바이러스제인 remdesivir와 스테로이드(dexamethasone) 병합 치료를 시행한 환자를 대상으로 심한 폐렴의 위험인자를 알아보고자 후향적으로 의무 기록을 검토하였다. 소아청소년 8명이 심한 폐렴으로 산소치료, remdesivir와 스테로이드를 투여하였고, 남자 5명, 여자 3명이었다. 중간 나이는 16세(범위: 9-17세)였으며, 8명 중 6명의 체질량지수가 중간값이 30.5 kg/m2 (범위: 29.4-38.5 kg/m2)였다. 모든 환자가 고열과 저산소증을 동반한 호흡곤란이 있었다. 흉부 단순 X-ray 검사에서 다양한 폐렴의 양상을 보였다. 7명은 remdesivir와 스테로이드 투여 후 1-2일 이내에 증상 호전되었다. 본 증례 연구에서는 심한 폐렴을 동반한 COVID-19 환자 8명 중 6명에서 비만이 있었다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

We appreciate all the staff at the isolation units and the office of Infection Control in the Gyeongsang National University Hospital and Seoul Metropolitan Seobuk Hospital. The data used for this study were provided by the Gyeongsang National University Hospital, a member of the Korea Biobank Network.

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