Indian Journal of Pediatrics
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Item Neonatal Seizures—Perspective in Low-and Middle-Income Countries(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2022-03) Vegda, Hemadri; Krishnan, Vaisakh; Variane, Gabriel; Bagayi, Vaishnavi; Ivain, Phoebe; Pressler, Ronit M.Neonatal seizures are the commonest neurological emergency and are associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcome. While they are generally difcult to diagnose and treat, they pose a signifcant clinical challenge for physicians in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). They are mostly provoked seizures caused by an acute brain insult such as hypoxic– ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, infections of the central nervous system, or acute metabolic disturbances. Early onset epilepsy syndromes are less common. Clinical diagnosis of seizures in the neonatal period are frequently inaccurate, as clinical manifestations are difcult to distinguish from nonseizure behavior. Additionally, a high proportion of seizures are electrographic-only without any clinical manifestations, making diagnosis with EEG or aEEG a necessity. Only focal clonic and focal tonic seizures can be diagnosed clinically with adequate diagnostic certainty. Prompt diagnosis and timely treatment are important, with evidence suggesting that early treatment improves the response to antiseizure medication. The vast majority of published studies are from high-income countries, making extrapolation to LMIC impossible, thus highlighting the urgent need for a better understanding of the etiologies, comorbidities, and drug trials evaluating safety and efcacy in LMIC. In this review paper, the authors present the latest data on etiology, diagnosis, classifcation, and guidelines for the management of neonates with the emphasis on low-resource settings.Item Asthma Attacks in Children—Challenges and Opportunities(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2022-04) Jones, Helena; Lawton, Adam; Gupta, AtulAsthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood worldwide, and is responsible for signifcant morbidity and mortality in children and young people (CYP). Given the inherent dangers of a child experiencing even a single asthma attack, it is essential to identify and manage modifable risk factors at every clinical opportunity. Following an attack, there is an opportunity to prevent future attacks by assessing compliance and optimizing asthma control. Careful questioning will allow physicians to identify asthma triggers, barriers to good asthma control, and health beliefs or socioeconomic obstacles that may have contributed to this attack. The vast majority of children with asthma can achieve good symptom control with appropriate use of low-dose inhaled corticosteroids.Item Ethical Issues around Death and Withdrawal of Life Support in Neonatal Intensive Care(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2022-03) Pant, StutiAmongst all the traumatic experiences in a human life, death of child is considered the most painful, and has profound and lasting impact on the life of parents. The experience is even more complex when the death occurs within a neonatal intensive care unit, particularly in situations where there have been conflicts associated with decisions regarding the redirection of life-sustaining treatments. In the absence of national guidelines and legal backing, clinicians are faced with a dilemma of whether to prolong lifesustaining therapy even in the most brain-injured infants or allow a discharge against medical advice. Societal customs, vagaries, and lack of bereavement support further complicate the experience for parents belonging to lower socio-economic classes. The present review explores the ethical dilemmas around neonatal death faced by professionals in India, and suggests some ways forward.Item COVID-19 in Children with West Syndrome: An Ambispective Study(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-08) Madaan, Priyanka; Saini, Lokesh; Dhir, Pooja; Bhagwat, Chandana; Goel, Mallika; Soni, Akshita; Sahu, Jitendra Kumar; Vikas, SahilObjectives To study the course of West syndrome (WS) and coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) in children with WS who contracted SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods This ambispective study was conducted at a tertiary-care center in North India between December 2020 and August 2021 after approval from the Institute Ethics Committee. Five children with WS, positive for COVID-19 based on RT-PCR, fulflled the inclusion criteria. Results One child with COVID-19 during the frst wave was retrospectively included while four children (of the 70 children screened) were prospectively enrolled. The median age at onset of epileptic spasms was 7 mo (2 boys), and that at presentation with COVID-19 was 18.5 mo. Three had underlying acquired structural etiology. Three were in remission following standard therapy, while two had ongoing spasms at the time of COVID-19 illness. During the illness, two of those in remission continued to be in remission while one child had a relapse. The children with ongoing epileptic spasms had variable course [one had persistent spasms and other had transient cessation lasting 3 wk from day 2 of COVID-19 illness, but electroencephalography (on day 8 of COVID-19 illness) continued to show hypsarrhythmia]. Fever was the most typical symptom (and sometimes the only symptom) of COVID-19, with a duration ranging from 1–8 d. Two children had moderate COVID-19 illness requiring hospitalization, while the rest had a mild illness. All the afected children had complete recovery from COVID-19. Conclusion The severity of COVID-19 illness in children with WS is often mild, while the subsequent course of WS is variable.Item Comparison of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) and Dengue in Hospitalized Children(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-07) Randhawa, Manjinder Singh; Jayashree, Muralidharan; Angurana, Suresh Kumar; Nallasamy, Karthi; Minz, Ranjana W.; Kumar, Mahendra; Ravikumar, Namita; Awasthi, Puspraj; Ghosh, Arnab; Ratho, R. K.; Kumar, Rohit Manoj; Bansal, ArunObjective Multisystem infammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in children is a febrile illness that has overlapping presentation with other locally prevalent illnesses. Clinicolaboratory profle of children admitted with MIS-C and dengue were compared to understand their presentation at the outset. Methods This was a retrospective study of children?12 y admitted with MIS-C (WHO defnition) or laboratory-confrmed dengue between August 2020 and January 2021 at a tertiary center in North India. Results A total of 84 children (MIS-C - 40; dengue - 44) were included. The mean (SD) age [83.5 (39) vs. 91.6 (35) mo] was comparable. Rash (72.5% vs. 22.7%), conjunctival injection (60% vs. 2.3%), oral mucocutaneous changes (27.5% vs. 0) and gallop rhythm (15% vs. 0) were seen more frequently with MIS-C, while petechiae [29.5% vs. 7.5%], myalgia (38.6% vs. 10%), headache (22.7% vs. 2.5%), and hepatomegaly (68.2% vs. 27.5%) were more common with dengue. Children with MIS-C had signifcantly higher C-reactive protein (124 vs. 3.2 mg/L) and interleukin 6 (95.3 vs. 20.7 ng/mL), while those with dengue had higher hemoglobin (12 vs. 10.2 g/dL) lower mean platelet count (26 vs. 140× 109 /L), and greater elevation in aspartate (607 vs. 44 IU/L) and alanine (235.5 vs. 56 IU/L) aminotransferases. The hospital stay was longer with MIS-C; however, PICU stay and mortality were comparable. Conclusion In hospitalized children with acute febrile illness, the presence of mucocutaneous features and highly elevated CRP could distinguish MIS-C from dengue. The presence of petechiae, hepatomegaly, and hemoconcentration may favor a diagnosis of dengue.Item Asthma Management in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2022-02) Klouda, Timothy; Pillarisetti, Advait; Xie, Annay; Kabra, Sushil; Saradhi, Naveen; Katwa, UmakanthAsthma is common in children and exacerbations are usually triggered by respiratory viruses. There was considerable concern about the impact of COVID-19 on children with asthma. It was expected that children with asthma would fare poorly during the pandemic. However, the reported efect of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric asthma including acute asthma admissions, does not appear to be signifcant, but this needs careful follow-up. The socioeconomic efects of the pandemic and reduced healthcare access could potentially impact on ongoing delivery of health care in chronic respiratory conditions including asthma, especially in resource-poor settings. Children with chronic asthma need to be treated as per internationally published guidelines with innovative models of disease monitoring and ongoing care during the pandemic. During the pandemic, children with acute asthma need to be managed carefully based on local guidelines and using strict infection control policies. The use of technology such as telehealth and various tools of asthma management including questionnaires and digital monitoring will play an important role in asthma management during the pandemic. Medical professionals, healthcare administrators, and governments should be sensitive to the evolving needs of the community and work closely to continue to provide services in a challenging yet unresolved pandemic.Item Adverse Events Following Immunization- The Known Unknowns and Black Box(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-08) Das, Manoja KumarAlthough vaccines are one of the most rigorously tested biological products, the safety concerns persist globally. The vaccine safety concerns linked to measles, pentavalent and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have affected the vaccine coverage significantly in past. While surveillance of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) is part of the national immunization program mandate, it suffers from challenges and biases related to reporting, completeness, and quality. Some conditions of concern, termed as adverse events of special interest (AESI) following vaccination, mandated specialised studies to prove/disprove the association. The AEFIs/AESIs are usually caused by one of the four pathophysiologic mechanisms, but for several AEFIs/AESIs, the exact pathophysiology remains elusive. For the causality assessment of AEFIs, a systematic process with checklists and algorithm are followed to classify into one of the four causal association categories. While the causal association primarily banks on epidemiological observations for several AEFIs, the emerging evidences indicate roles of underlying genetic, gender, age and other pro-inflammatory risk factors for AEFIs and AESIs. The emerging evidences suggest role of antigenic mimicry, autoantibody(ies) and underlying genetic susceptibility for the AEFIs/AESIs. The uncertainty about the frequency, profile, interval, and severity of AEFIs/AESIs and variations across the population, ambiguity about the exact pathophysiology mechanism, absence of definite markers, suggest a possible black box effect of the vaccines. Unless these unanswered questions concerning the AEFIs/AESIs are addressed appropriately and communicated to the stakeholders (professionals, care providers, beneficiaries, general public and media), the anti-vaccine movement shall keep challenging the vaccine and vaccination program.Item Clinical and Genetic Spectrum of Inborn Errors of Immunity in a Tertiary Care Center in Southern India(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2022-03) Lashkari, Harsha Prasada; Madkaikar, Manisha; Dalvi, Aparna; Gupta, Maya; Bustamante, Jacinta; Sharma, Madhubala; Rawat, Amit; Bhatia, Prateek; Bhat, Kamalakshi G.; Rao, Sadashiva; Kamath, Nutan; Moideen, Faheem; Latour, Sylvain; Winter, Sarah; Bhavani, Gandham SriLakshmi; Girisha, Katta M.Objectives To study the incidence, clinical manifestations, and genetic spectrum of primary immunodefciency diseases (PID)/inborn errors of immunity (IEI) in a tertiary care hospital in Southern India. Methods A retrospective analysis of all patients with a clinical suspicion of PID/IEI seen at a tertiary care hospital was performed. All patients had at least one or more warning signs of PID. Serum immunoglobulin levels and other targeted investigations were performed as warranted by the clinical presentation. All families with suspected PID were counseled and ofered genetic testing. Results A total of 225 children were evaluated for PID during the study period of 6 y. Fifty-six of them did not meet the European Society of Immunodefciencies (ESID) criteria (working defnition of clinical diagnosis) and were excluded. An IEI was found in 30/49 (61.2%) patients. The most frequent reason for referral was recurrent/unusual or serious infections (28%), or cytopenia (16%). Group IV diseases of immune dysregulation was the most common category (19%), followed by group III predominant antibody defciencies in 23/163 (14%), as per the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) classifcation. Conclusions This study highlights the heterogeneity of the present cohort, the underuse of genetic tests, and eforts to provide optimal care for children with possible IEI in this center.Item Advances in Extracorporeal Support Technologies in Critically Ill Children(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-05) Yuerek, Mahsun; Kozyak, Benjamin W.; Shankar, Venkat R.The field of pediatric heart failure is evolving, and the patient population is growing as survival after complex congenital heart surgeries is improving. Mechanical circulatory support and extracorporeal respiratory support in critically ill children has progressed to a mainstay rescue modality in pediatric intensive care medicine. The need for mechanical circulatory support is growing, since the number of organ donors does not meet the necessity. This article aims to review the current state of available mechanical circulatory and respiratory support systems in acute care pediatrics, with an emphasis on the literature discussing the challenges associated with these complex support modalitiesItem Pediatric Pulmonology Training in India: Current Status and Future Directions(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-07) Goyal, J. P.; Kabra, S. K.Respiratory illnesses are common causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Postgraduates in Pediatrics spent significant time in learning to manage respiratory disorders. Improved survival of preterm neonates, improved diagnosis and survival of chronic respiratory problems, and advances in diagnosis and therapeutics have increased the need for specialists trained in managing these patients. Training programs in Pediatric Pulmonology are evolving over the past few decades. In India, super-specialty training in Pediatric Pulmonology has grown over the past few years. There is a need to modify the training structure used in industrialized countries due to differences in patient population, priorities, and limited available resources and expertise. Formal training courses have been started in a limited number of institutions. There is a large gap between the need for a trained workforce and the available specialists in the limited number of institutions. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics National Respiratory Chapter (IAPNRC) has initiated a fellowship program to bridge the gap. Comprehensive training involving academic and hands-on training may go a long way to improve the care of children with acute and chronic respiratory problems. For sustainable development of the super specialty, there is a need to work towards creating Pediatric Pulmonology service departments in various institutions that may be responsible for comprehensive training and research activities to answer common research questions.Item Childhood Pneumonia: What’s Unchanged, and What’s New?(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-07) Yadav, Krishna Kumar; Awasthi, ShallyChildhood pneumonia is still a significant clinical and public health problem. India contributes the highest number of deaths due to pneumonia, accounts for about 20% of global mortality among under five children. Various etiologic agents including bacteria, viruses and atypical organism are responsible for childhood pneumonia. Recent studies suggest that viruses are one of the major causes of childhood pneumonia. Among viruses, respiratory syncytial virus has got great attention and several recent studies are reporting it as an important organism for pneumonia. Lack of exclusive breast feeding during first six months, improper timing of start and content of complimentary feeding, anemia, undernutrition, indoor pollution due to tobacco smoking and use of coal and wood for cooking food and lack of vaccinations are important risk factors. X-ray chest is not routinely performed to diagnose pneumonia while use of lung ultrasound is increasing to detect consolidation, pleural effusion, pneumothorax and pulmonary edema (interstitial syndrome). Role of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin is similar, to differentiate between viral and bacterial pneumonia, however duration of antibiotics is better guided by procalcitonin. Newer biomarkers like IL-6, presepsin and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 are needed to be evaluated for their use in children. Hypoxia is significantly associated with childhood pneumonia. Therefore, use of pulse oximetry should be encouraged for early detection and prompt treatment of hypoxia to prevent adverse outcomes. Among the available tools for risk of mortality assessment in children due to pneumonia, PREPARE score is the best but external validation will be needed.Item Refractory Rickets(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-06) Chinoy, Amish; Padidela, RajaNutritional rickets, caused by vitamin D and/or calcium deficiency is by far the most common cause of rickets. In resource-limited settings, it is therefore not uncommon to treat rickets with vitamin D and calcium. If rickets fails to heal and/or if there is a family history of rickets, then refractory rickets should be considered as a differential diagnosis. Chronic low serum phosphate is the pathological hallmark of all forms of rickets as its low concentration in extracellular space leads to the failure of apoptosis of hypertrophic chondrocytes leading to defective mineralisation of the growth plate. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) control serum phosphate concentration by facilitating the excretion of phosphate in the urine through their action on the proximal renal tubules. An increase in PTH, as seen in nutritional rickets and genetic disorders of vitamin D-dependent rickets (VDDRs), leads to chronic low serum phosphate, causing rickets. Genetic conditions leading to an increase in FGF23 concentration cause chronic low serum phosphate concentration and rickets. Genetic conditions and syndromes associated with proximal renal tubulopathies can also lead to chronic low serum phosphate concentration by excess phosphate leak in urine, causing rickets. In this review, authors discuss an approach to the differential diagnosis and management of refractory ricketsItem Lung Function Tests in Infants and Children(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-08) Jat, Kana Ram; Agarwal, SheetalLung function testing is an essential modality of investigation in children as it provides objective evidence of lung disease/ health. With advances in technology, various tests are available that can aid in the diagnosis of lung disease, assess the progression and response to therapy and document the lung development and evolving lung diseases in infants. This narrative review discusses lung function tests in infants and children. Currently, lung function tests can be performed in every age group, from neonates to the elderly. Spirometry and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) are the most employed tests in children more than six years of age. Spirometry helps diagnose and monitoring of both obstructive and restrictive diseases. There is a need for expertise to perform and interpret spirometry correctly. The forced oscillation technique (FOT) or impulse oscillometry (IOS) is done with tidal volume breathing and is feasible even in preschool children. Their utility is mainly restricted to asthma in children at present. Lung function tests can be performed in neonates, infants and children using infant pulmonary function test (PFT) equipment, although their availability is limited. Diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is a valuable tool in restrictive lung diseases. Lung volumes can be assessed by body plethysmography and multiple washout technique. The latter can also assess lung clearance index. It is essential to perform and interpret the lung function test results correctly and correlate them with the clinical condition for optimum treatment and outcome.Item Effect of Antiretroviral Therapy on Neutrophil Oxidative Burst in Children(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-07) Rehman, Nama Habib Ur; Gupta, Richa; Dewan, Pooja; Gomber, Sunil; Gupta, Richa; Raizada, AlpanaObjective To ascertain the efect of human immunodefciency virus (HIV) infection, as well as, antiretroviral therapy (ART) on neutrophil oxidative burst in children. Methods Fifty-fve children living with HIV infection (30 receiving ART for?2 y, 25 treatment-naïve) and 30 healthy controls, aged 18 mo–18 y, were assessed for hemogram and neutrophil oxidative burst. The treatment-naïve children were followed up and the above tests were repeated after 6 mo of ART. Results Mean (SD) serum MPO activity at 6 mo after ART [32.1 (±19.9) U/L] was comparable to that at disease onset [17.2 (±23.0) U/L], although it was signifcantly higher compared to that in children on ART?2 y [13.3 (±15.8) U/L] and controls [12.1 (±11.9) U/L]. Median fuorescence intensity (MFI) of unstimulated DHR was highest at 6 mo after ART and in the treatment-naïve group, which was signifcantly higher than in the controls, as well as, children receiving ART?2 y. Stimulation index was highest in the control group [442.4 (341.9–562.9)], which was comparable to that in children on ART?2 y [304.2 (153.2–664.8)], but was signifcantly higher than the treatment-naïve cohort [266.1 (148.2–339.4)] and children on ART for 6 mo [318.8 (154.9–395.6)]. Conclusion A hyperinfammatory state caused by an increased serum myeloperoxidase enzyme activity and increased basal neutrophil oxidative burst was seen in untreated HIV infection and during initial 6 mo of ART. ART given for?2 y normalized the impaired neutrophilic phagocytic functions.Item Efficiency, Economy and Excellence: Experimental Exploration of Evidence-based Guideline Development in Resource-Constrained Settings(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-07) Mathew, Joseph L.Development of clinical practice guidelines is a scientific process based on a thorough review and appraisal of the global evidence, but factoring in local contextually relevant issues. It is highly resource intensive, demanding considerable time, human skills, and finances- making it challenging in resource-constrained settings. This article summarizes a unique attempt to develop evidence-based guidelines in such settings. This was made possible by mentoring and monitoring a group of committed healthcare professionals with limited prior expertise in evidence-based guideline development. The various steps included an online training workshop to build knowledge and skills. This was followed by a systematic process of identifying topics requiring evidence-based guidelines. Thereafter, the topics were prioritized through a Delphi process. Formal clinical questions were framed using the PICOTS (Patient/ Population, Intervention/ Exposure, Comparison, Outcome, Time-frame, Setting) format. The guideline development process was made time and resource efficient by starting with a formal search for existing guidelines whose recommendations could be adopted, adapted, or adoloped to the local setting. If such guidelines were unavailable, high quality secondary evidence (systemic reviews) was accessed to find answers to the clinical questions. If unavailable, de novo systematic reviews of primary research studies were undertaken. The evidence base was critically appraised and graded. Formal evidence-to-decision formats were used to enable translation of the evidence to recommendations implementable in the local setting. The entire guideline development process was completed with zero financial allocation. This model focusing on efficiency, economy, and excellence, can be emulated in diverse resource-constrained settings.Item Post-COVID-19 Sequelae in Children(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-06) Kumar, Prawin; Jat, Kana RamCoronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been implicated in having post-COVID-19 sequelae in both adults and children. There is a lack of good data on the prevalence and risk factors for post-COVID-19 sequelae in children. The authors aimed to review the current literature on post-COVID sequelae. The prevalence of post-COVID sequelae in children is highly variable among studies, with an average of 25%. The sequelae may affect many organ systems, though mood symptoms, fatigue, cough, dyspnea, and sleep problems are common. In many studies, it is difficult to establish a causal association due to the lack of a control group. Furthermore, it is difficult to differentiate whether the neuropsychiatric symptoms in children after COVID-19 are due to infection or a result of lockdowns and social restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Children with COVID-19 should be followed by a multidisciplinary team and screened for symptoms, followed by focused laboratory evaluations as needed. There is no specific treatment for the sequelae. Only symptomatic and supportive treatment is required in most cases. More research is necessary to standardize the definitions of sequelae, establish a causal association, assess various treatment options, and the effects of different virus variants, and finally, see the impact of vaccination on the sequelae.Item Trends in Urban Immunization Coverage in India: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-01) Kulkarni, S.; Thampi, V.; Deshmukh, D.; Gadhari, M.; Chandrasekar, R.; Phadke, M.Objectives To assess the gaps and trends in child immunization coverage among urban and rural areas in India, and compare the success of immunisation program in each. Methods PubMed, Scopus, and Crossref, and Google Scholar electronic databases were searched on October 9, 2019, and March 21, 2020, for studies that measured and reported immunization coverage indicators in India. Random-efects metaanalyses and meta-regressions were conducted. Results The authors' search identifed 545 studies, and 2 were obtained by expert suggestion. Among these 68 studies and 6 surveys were included. They found that full immunization coverage has grown yearly at 2.65% and 0.82% in rural and urban areas, respectively whereas partial immunization coverage declined by ?2.44% and ?0.69%, respectively. Percentage of nonimmunized children did not show a statistically signifcant trend in either. Conclusion While rural immunization coverage has seen a large increase over the past two decades, the progress in urban areas is weak and negligible. This was largely attributable to a focus on minimizing dropouts in rural areas. However, a lack of signifcant reduction in unimmunized children may indicate left-out children or pockets in both rural and urban areas. The poor performance of immunization programs in urban areas, coupled with a larger impact of COVID-19, warrants that India urgently adopts urban-sensitive and urban-focused policies and programs.Item Clinical Profile, Intensive Care Needs, and Short-Term Outcome of Toxic Shock Syndrome Among Children: A 10-Year Single-Centre Experience from North India(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-04) Angurana, Suresh Kumar; Awasthi, Puspraj; K.C., Sudeep; Nallasamy, Karthi; Bansal, Arun; Jayashree, MuralidharanObjective To describe the clinical and laboratory profle, management, intensive care needs, and outcome of children with toxic shock syndrome (TSS) admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary care center in North India. Methods This retrospective study was conducted in the PICU of a tertiary care hospital in North India over a period of 10 y (January 2011–December 2020) including children<12 y with TSS (n=63). Results The median (interquartile range, IQR) age was 5 (2–9) y, 58.7% were boys, and Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM-III) score was 15 (12–17). The primary focus of infection was identifed in 60.3% children, 44.5% had skin and soft tissue infections, and 17.5% (n=11) had growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Common manifestations were shock (100%), rash (95.2%), thrombocytopenia (79.4%), transaminitis (66.7%), coagulopathy (58.7%), and acute kidney injury (AKI) (52.4%); and involvement of gastrointestinal (61.9%), mucus membrane (55.5%), respiratory (47.6%), musculoskeletal (41.3%), and central nervous system (CNS) (31.7%). The treatment included fuid resuscitation (100%), vasoactive drugs (92.1%), clindamycin (96.8%), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (92.1%), blood products (74.6%), mechanical ventilation (58.7%), and renal replacement therapy (31.7%). The mortality was 27% (n=17). The duration of PICU and hopsital stay was 5 (4–10) and 7 (4–11) d, respectively. Higher proportion of nonsurvivors had CNS involvement, transaminitis, thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, and AKI; required mechanical ventilation and blood products; and had higher vasoactive–inotropic score. Conclusion TSS is not uncommon in children in Indian setup. The management includes early recognition, intensive care, antibiotics, source control, and adjunctive therapy (IVIG and clindamycin). Multiorgan dysfunction and need for organ supportive therapies predicted mortality.Item Epidemiology, Clinical Profile, Intensive Care Needs and Outcome in Children with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Admitted to a Tertiary Hospital During the First and Second Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic in India(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2023-02) C.R., Vishwa; Sharma, Raman; Jayashree, Muralidharan; Nallasamy, Karthi; Bansal, Arun; Angurana, Suresh Kumar; Mathew, Joseph L.; Sankhyan, Naveen; Dutta, Sourabh; Verma, Sanjay; Kumar, Rakesh; Devnanai, Mahesh; Vaidya, Pankaj C.; Samujh, Ram; Singh, Mini P.; Goyal, Kapil; Lakshmi, P. V. M.; Saxena, Akshay K.Objectives To compare the epidemiological, clinical profle, intensive care needs and outcome of children hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the frst and second waves of the pandemic. Methods This was a retrospective study of all children between 1 mo and 14 y, admitted to a dedicated COVID-19 hospital (DCH) during the frst (1st June to 31st December 2020) and second waves (1st March to 30th June 2021). Results Of 217 children, 104 (48%) and 113 (52%) were admitted during the frst and second waves respectively. One hundred ffty-two (70%) had incidentally detected SARS-CoV-2 infection, while 65 (30%) had symptomatic COVID-19. Comorbidities were noted in 137 (63%) children. Fifty-nine (27%) and 66 (30%) children required high-dependency unit (HDU) and ICU care respectively. Severity of infection and ICU needs were similar during both waves. High-fow oxygen (n=5, 2%), noninvasive ventilation [CPAP (n=34, 16%) and BiPAP (n=8, 5%)] and invasive ventilation (n=45, 21%) were respiratory support therapies needed. NIV use was more during the second wave (26% vs. 13%; p=0.02). The median (IQR) length (days) of DCH stay among survivors was longer during the frst wave [8 (6–10) vs. 5.5 (3–8); p=0.0001]. Conclusions Disease severity, associated comorbidities, PICU and organ support need and mortality were similar in the frst and second waves of the pandemic. Children admitted during the second wave were younger, had higher proportion of NIV use and shorter length of COVID-19 hospital stay.Item Initial Immunomodulation and Outcome of Children with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Related to COVID-19: A Multisite Study from India(Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation, 2022-12) Bagri, Narendra Kumar; Khan, M.; Pandey, R. M.; Lodha, Rakesh; Kabra, S. K.; MIS-C study groupObjective To determine the outcomes in children with MIS-C receiving diferent immunomodulatory treatment. Methods In this multicentric, retrospective cohort study, data regarding treatment and outcomes of children meeting the WHO case defnition for MIS-C, were collected. The primary composite outcome was the requirement of vasoactive/inotropic support on day 2 or beyond or need of mechanical ventilation on day 2 or beyond after initiation of immunomodulatory treatment or death during hospitalization in the treatment groups. Logistic regression and propensity score matching analyses were used to compare the outcomes in diferent treatment arms based on the initial immunomodulation, i.e., IVIG alone, IVIG plus steroids, and steroids alone. Results The data of 368 children (diagnosed between April 2020 and June 2021) meeting the WHO case defnition for MIS-C, were analyzed. Of the 368 subjects, 28 received IVIG alone, 82 received steroids alone, 237 received IVIG and steroids, and 21 did not receive any immunomodulation. One hundred ffty-six (42.39%) children had the primary outcome. On logistic regression analysis, the treatment group was not associated with the primary outcome; only the children with shock at diagnosis had higher odds for the occurrence of the outcome [OR (95% CI): 11.4 (5.19–25.0), p<0.001]. On propensity score matching analysis, the primary outcome was comparable in steroid (n=45), and IVIG plus steroid (n=84) groups (p=0.515). Conclusion While no signifcant diference was observed in the frequency of occurrence of the primary outcome in diferent treatment groups, data from adequately powered RCTs are required for defnitive recommendations.