Abstract
Background and study aims
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had considerable effects on health care services given the need for re-allocation of resources and interruption of medical care. COVID-19 poses a challenge to patients with liver disease who are at risk of infection and more severe disease course. The current study aimed to assess the incidence of COVID-19 in children with liver diseases and evaluate the extent to which health care delivery was affected during lockdown.
Patients and methods
This cross-sectional analytical study conducted at the Pediatric Hepatology Unit, Cairo University Children’s Hospital utilized a questionnaire to determine the incidence of COVID-19 in patients with liver diseases and the impact of COVID-19 on the patients’ liver condition and health care service delivery. A presumed score was implemented to identify patients with probable COVID-19.
Results
Data from 349 children with liver diseases were analyzed. The overall incidence of COVID-19 was 8%. Patients with documented and probable COVID-19 were compared to improbable COVID-19 cases. Notably, COVID-19 cases were younger and had higher incidence rates of cholestatic liver diseases. COVID-19 patients experienced significantly higher rates of hepatic complications (43%) and had significantly greater need for medical services during the lockdown. All COVID-19 patients recovered after a median (IQR) duration of 3 (4) days, except for one patient who succumbed to COVID-19 and hepatic complications.
Conclusions
COVID-19 affected the younger hepatic patients with cholestatic disorders of infancy. Hepatic complications were more common among COVID-19 infected children. Alternative ways of communication require development to prioritize patients who needs a hospital visit and monitoring. Clinical scores may help diagnosis of COVID-19 in low/middle income countries like Egypt to compensate for the deficient laboratory diagnostic facilities.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, pandemic, lockdown, Health care services, Pediatric liver diseases, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, cross-sectional, children, hospital, diagnostic, liver diseases, Laboratory, Health, clinical, hepatology, Patient, incidence rate, Complication, university, resource, Care, liver, questionnaire, risk of infection, Liver disease, COVID-19 cases, COVID-19 patient, medical service, infancy, COVID-19 case, help, unit, disorder, infected children, severe disease course, Effect, country, hepatic, Cairo, Result, greater, analyzed, identify, affected, evaluate, significantly, conducted, median, determine, significantly higher, diagnosis of COVID-19, hepatic complication, hepatic complications, incidence of COVID-19, IQR, 【제목키워드】 children, Health, Care, liver, country,