Backgrounds: Respiratory viruses are the main triggers of asthma. Coronavirus is shown to contribute to respiratory tract infections that can lead to prolonged cough and asthma.Objectives: Present study aimed to determine the risk of developing Persistent cough and asthma-like symptoms in hospitalized children due to COVID-19.Methods: This prospective study was carried out in a tertiary referral center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 69 hospitalized pediatric patients admitted with COVID-19 were observed from February 2020 to January 2021. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded, and after discharge, patients were followed and visited for cough and asthma evaluation one, 2 and 6 months later. Patients with asthma-like diagnoses in follow up defined as asthma-like groups, and patients without any sign of asthma were categorized as the non-asthma group. Asthma-like co-morbids and risk factors were evaluated and compared between the two groups.Results: In follow-up, most of the COVID-19 hospitalized patients (N = 42) (58.5%) were not affected by asthma-like symptoms. 60.9% of the COVID-19 patients were male. The asthma-like group cases had a significantly familial history of asthma (63.0%), past medical history of asthma (33.3%), and Allergic rhinitis (85.2%). Rates of signs and symptoms during hospitalization were significantly higher in patients with COVID-19 and past medical history of asthma.Conclusions: We found an asthma-like prevalence of 41.5% in the cohort of COVID-19 hospitalized children. Family history of asthma and previous history of asthma and allergic rhinitis are risk factors for asthma-like after COVID-19 hospitalization. COVID-19 presentations are more severe in the asthma-like group.

Background: Kawasaki Disease (KD) is the most common childhood vasculitis and cause of acquired heart disease for no apparent reason. There is some evidence indicating infectious agents as possible triggers for KD. During the COVID-19 pandemic, vasculitis has been a presentation of COVID-19 in children. We performed this study to assess the association between KD and COVID-19. We evaluated KD hospitalized children during February to September 2020 for COVID-19 (group one) and compared their demographic, clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic findings with KD patients from the same period time in 2019 (group two). We also compared the same data in COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative KD patients in 2020 pandemic period in Shiraz Namazi referral hospital at southwest of Iran. Results: Thirty-two patients in group one compared with 44 patients in group two. Sixty-eight percent of group one KD patients were positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic period. KD Age of onset in the group one was lower than group two (4.38 years VS 5.5 years, P-value = 0.044). There was no difference in the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic features of the patients during and before the COVID-19 pandemic (p-value > 0.05). Moreover, Comparing COVID-19 positive and negative the incidence of rash was higher within COVID-19 positive cases (p < 0.05), and coronary artery abnormalities were more prevalent in COVID-19 negative cases (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Admission rate of KD was almost similar during the COVID-19 pandemic but 68% of KD admitted patient were COVID-19 positive. Age of onset for KD during the COVID-19 pandemic was lower and skin manifestation was higher than the same period time in last year.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Wuhan strain) features in children and adults during the initial pandemic phase. Methods: Until June 4, 2020, a systematic search was conducted on the EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus to find and collect studies based on available data among adults and children. The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using I2 statistics and chi-square testing. The random-effect model was used to pool the effect sizes due to inter-study heterogeneity (chi-square P-value 0.1 and I2 >50%). Results: Fever (65.73%), cough (53.78%), expectoration (37.9%), gastrointestinal symptoms (37.01%), headache (23.41%), shortness of breath (21.65%), and myalgia (20.79%) were the most common symptoms reported in children, according to the pooled estimation analysis. Arthralgia (Effect estimate (ES): adults = 2.15, children = 17.94) and headache (ES: adults = 9.22, children = 23.41) were significantly observed higher in children (P-value = 0.019). Adult patients had a higher rate of abnormal computed tomography (CT)-scan findings, while most children had a normal imaging studies. Adults had significantly higher rates of comorbidities, whereas children had significantly higher rates of asthma (ES: 17.94% vs 8.85%; P-value = 0.026) and malignancy (ES: 10.36% vs 5.47%; P-value = 0.045). During initial pandemic phase, hydroxychloroquine (ES: 66.21% vs 29.01%; P-value = 0.001) and antibiotics (ES: 77.86% vs 38.01%; P-value = 0.001) were used much more frequently in adult patients. Adults used much more antibiotics than children. Nonetheless, antibiotics were given to around 40% of the children studied. Conclusions: Although children were afflicted less than adults in the early stages of the pandemic and had lower mortality, clinical and radiological findings, as well as prognostic factors, did not differ significantly between adults and children. However, with the advent of novel variants, clinical signs and symptoms, complications, and outcomes changed in children significantly.

Evidence-based medicine is defined as searching for medical information, reviewing and comparing it to each patient’s situation, and then judging the optimal decision. We aimed to measure the psychometric properties of the Evidence-Based Performance Profile (EBP2) Questionnaire among the students of health-related fields at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021. The EBP2 questionnaire, which includes 74 five-Likert-scale items, was translated into the Persian language using the forward-backward translation method. A panel of five experts approved the face, content, and structural validity of the questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega coefficients were utilized to assess the questionnaire’s internal consistency. Furthermore, both confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were used to assess the questionnaire’s construct validity. SPSS software version 25 and LISREL software version 8.8 were used for statistical analysis. Overall, 339 students participated in this study. The cultural adaptability, linguistic equivalence, and content validity of the Persian version of the EBP2 questionnaire were approved by a five-member team of medical experts. In addition, the results showed excellent internal consistency of the Persian version of the EBP2 questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.962, McDonald’s Omega (ML) = 0.963). Moreover, all domains had acceptable reliability (> 0.7), except the Practice domain which had a marginally acceptable Cronbach’s alpha coefficient equal to 0.686. Exploratory factor analysis discovered six domains for the questionnaire. Moreover, the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that all indices except the comparative fit index (CFI) and adjusted goodness of fit (AGFI) confirmed the validity of the EBP2 questionnaire. The study’s findings indicate that the Persian translated of the EBP2 questionnaire exhibited satisfactory validity and reliability for assessing students’ evidence-based performance in health-related fields.

Rectal prolapse is prevalent in children and the elderly, impacting quality of life significantly. Traditional surgical interventions carry risks, especially in pediatric patients. Ethanol sclerotherapy offers a less invasive alternative, inducing fibrosis and thickening of the rectal wall. Despite its potential benefits, procedural complications are possible, emphasizing the need for careful patient selection and procedural expertise. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sclerotherapy in treating rectal prolapse in a tertiary referral center in southern Iran. Patient records from Nemazee Hospital covering January 2014 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Pediatric patients undergoing ethanol sclerotherapy for rectal prolapse were included. Data on demographics, presentation, procedures, and outcomes were collected. Ethical approval was obtained, and specific inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 26. One hundred thirty patients were evaluated, with a mean age of 10.74 ± 5.320 years. Most patients experienced constipation (56.9%). 74.2% responded well to sclerotherapy, with 12.9% needing a second injection. Complications were minimal, with bleeding being the most common (4.6%). Recurrence occurred in 18.6% of cases. Male patients showed a higher total complication rate (P = 0.010). Diarrhea-dominant patients had no recurrences post-sclerotherapy. Age significantly influenced treatment response and recurrence (P = 0.017, P = 0.035). Male predominance contradicted global pediatric rectal prolapse ratios, possibly influenced by cultural factors. Sclerotherapy remains effective, though response rates vary. Older age correlated with lower response rates and higher recurrence. Constipation-dominant prolapse was associated with increased recurrence risk. Male patients had a higher complication rate, highlighting the need for tailored management strategies.