Pediatric Hematology Oncology Department.
Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University Research Institute-Clinical Research Center (MASRI-CRC).
J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2021 Nov 1;43(8):e1077-e1081. doi: 10.1097/MPH.0000000000002025.
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) could be associated with morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children.
The objective of this study was to measure the frequency of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among hospitalized children with cancer and to detect the associated clinical manifestations and outcomes.
A prospective noninterventional study including all hospitalized children with cancer conducted between mid-April and mid-June 2020 in Ain Shams University Hospital, Egypt. Clinical, laboratory, and radiologic data were collected. SARS-CoV-2 infection was diagnosed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests in nasopharyngeal swabs.
Fifteen of 61 hospitalized children with cancer were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2. Their mean age was 8.3±3.5 years. Initially, 10 (66.7%) were asymptomatic and 5 (33.3%) were symptomatic with fever and/or cough. Baseline laboratory tests other than SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were not diagnostic; the mean absolute lymphocyte count was 8.7±2.4×109/L. C-reactive protein was mildly elevated in most of the patients. Imaging was performed in 10 (66.7%) patients with significant radiologic findings detected in 4 (40%) patients. Treatment was mainly supportive with antibiotics as per the febrile neutropenia protocol and local Children Hospital guidance for management of COVID-19 in children.
Pediatric cancer patients with COVID-19 were mainly asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. A high index of suspicion and regular screening with nasopharyngeal swab in asymptomatic hospitalized cancer patients is recommended.
2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）可能与免疫功能低下儿童的发病率和死亡率有关。
本研究旨在测量住院癌症儿童中严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）感染的频率，并检测相关的临床表现和结局。
这是一项在 2020 年 4 月中旬至 6 月中旬期间在埃及艾因夏姆斯大学医院进行的所有住院癌症儿童的前瞻性非干预性研究。收集临床、实验室和影像学数据。通过鼻咽拭子的逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测 SARS-CoV-2 感染。
在 61 名住院癌症儿童中，有 15 名被诊断患有 SARS-CoV-2。他们的平均年龄为 8.3±3.5 岁。最初，10 名（66.7%）为无症状，5 名（33.3%）为有发热和/或咳嗽的症状。除了 SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR 以外，基线实验室检查均无诊断意义；平均绝对淋巴细胞计数为 8.7±2.4×109/L。大多数患者的 C-反应蛋白轻度升高。对 10 名（66.7%）患者进行了影像学检查，4 名（40%）患者有明显的影像学发现。治疗主要是支持性的，根据发热性中性粒细胞减少症方案和当地儿童医院 COVID-19 儿童管理指南使用抗生素。
COVID-19 的儿科癌症患者主要为无症状或症状轻微。建议对无症状住院癌症患者进行鼻咽拭子常规筛查，提高对该病的警惕性。
