Characteristics and management of patients with SARS-CoV2 infection admitted to pediatric intensive care units: Data analysis of the Spanish national multicenter registry

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to describe the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) disease characteristics and management in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care units (PICU). Methods: The present study was based on a national multicentric prospective registry including PICU patients with SARS-CoV2 infection or symptoms of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Results: A total of 298 patients were admitted to 41 different Spanish PICUs. A total of 76% of them were previously healthy. The most frequent manifestation was MIS-C (69.8%). On admission, 59.4% of patients did not have respiratory distress, and only 17.4% needed conventional mechanical ventilation (MV). The need for MV was associated with age (incidence rate ratios [IRR] 1.21, p