To describe the clinical characteristics of children and adolescents admitted to intensive care with confirmed COVID-19. Prospective, multicenter, observational study, in 19 pediatric intensive care units. Patients aged 1 month to 19 years admitted consecutively (March–May 2020) were included. Demographic, clinical-epidemiological features, treatment, and outcomes were collected. Subgroups were compared according to comorbidities, age < 1 year, and need for invasive mechanical ventilation. A multivariable logistic regression model was used for predictors of severity. Seventy-nine patients were included (ten with multisystemic inflammatory syndrome). Median age 4 years; 54% male (multisystemic inflammatory syndrome, 80%); 41% had comorbidities (multisystemic inflammatory syndrome, 20%). Fever (76%), cough (51%), and tachypnea (50%) were common in both groups. Severe symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and higher inflammatory markers were more frequent in multisystemic inflammatory syndrome. Interstitial lung infiltrates were common in both groups, but pleural effusion was more prevalent in the multisystemic inflammatory syndrome group (43% vs. 14%). Invasive mechanical ventilation was used in 18% (median 7.5 days); antibiotics, oseltamivir, and corticosteroids were used in 76%, 43%, and 23%, respectively, but not hydroxychloroquine. The median pediatric intensive care unit length-of-stay was five days; there were two deaths (3%) in the non- multisystemic inflammatory syndrome group. Patients with comorbidities were older and comorbidities were independently associated with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (OR 5.5; 95% CI, 1.43–21.12; p = 0.01). In Brazilian pediatric intensive care units, COVID-19 had low mortality, age less than 1 year was not associated with a worse prognosis, and patients with multisystemic inflammatory syndrome had more severe symptoms, higher inflammatory biomarkers, and a greater predominance of males, but only comorbidities and chronic diseases were independent predictors of severity.

To describe the clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics, as well as the outcomes of children with MIS-C. Multicenter, prospective cohort study, conducted in 17 pediatric intensive care units in five states in Brazil, from March to July 2020. Patients from 1 month to 19 years who met the MIS-C diagnostic criteria were included consecutively. Fifty-six patients were included, with the following conditions: Kawasaki-like disease (n = 26), incomplete Kawasaki disease (n = 16), acute cardiac dysfunction (n = 10), toxic shock syndrome (n = 3), and macrophage activation syndrome (n = 1). Median age was 6.2 years (IQR 2.4−10.3), 70% were boys, 59% were non-whites, 20% had comorbidities, 48% reported a contact with COVID-19 cases, and 55% had a recent SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by RT-PCR and/or serology. Gastrointestinal symptoms were present in 71%, shock symptoms in 59%, and severe respiratory symptoms in less than 20%. d-Dimer was increased in 80% and cardiac dysfunction markers in more than 75%. Treatment included immunoglobulin (89%); corticosteroids, antibiotics, and enoxaparin in about 50%; and oseltamivir and antifungal therapy in less than 10%. Only 11% needed invasive mechanical ventilation, with a median duration of five days (IQR 5–6.5). The median length of PICU stay was six days (IQR 5–11), and one death occurred (1.8%). Most characteristics of the present MIS-C patients were similar to that of other cohorts. The present results may contribute to a broader understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and its short-term consequences. Long-term multidisciplinary follow-up is needed, since it is not known whether these patients will have chronic cardiac impairment or other sequelae.

Aim To present a systematic review on the validity of triage systems for paediatric emergency care. Methods Search in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Nursing Database Index (BDENF) and Spanish Health Sciences Bibliographic Index (IBECS) for articles in English, French, Portuguese or Spanish with no time limit. Validity studies of five-level triage systems for patients 0–18 years old were included. Two reviewers performed data extraction and quality assessment as recommended by PRISMA statement. Results We found 25 studies on seven triage systems: Manchester Triage System (MTS); paediatric version of Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (PedCTAS) and its adaptation for Taiwan (paediatric version of the Taiwan Triage and Acuity System); Emergency Severity Index version 4 (ESI v.4); Soterion Rapid Triage System and South African Triage Scale and its adaptation for Bostwana (Princess Marina Triage Scale). Only studies on the MTS used a reference standard for urgency, while all systems were evaluated using a proxy outcome for urgency such as admission. Over half of all studies were low quality. The MTS, PedCTAS and ESI v.4 presented the largest number of moderate and high quality studies. The three tools performed better in their countries or near them, showing a consistent association with hospitalisation and resource utilisation. Studies of all three tools found that patients at the lowest urgency levels were hospitalised, reflecting undertriage. Conclusions There is some evidence to corroborate the validity of the MTS, PedCTAS and ESI v.4 for paediatric emergency care in their own countries or near them. Efforts to improve the sensitivity and to minimise the undertriage rates should continue. Cross-cultural adaptation is necessary when adopting these triage systems in other countries.

Considering the currently confirmed cases of microcephaly and related deaths associated with Zika virus in Brazil, the estimated case fatality rate is 8.3% (95% confidence interval: 7.2-9.6). However, a third of the reported cases remain under investigation. If the confirmation rates of cases and deaths are the same in the future, the estimated case fatality rate will be as high as 10.5% (95% confidence interval: 9.5-11.7).

Possible associations between Zika virus infection and hearing loss were observed during the epidemic in the Americas. To describe the auditory alterations, pathogenesis and recommendations for follow-up in individuals with prenatal or acquired Zika virus infection. Bibliographic research conducted in March/2018-April/2019 at the main available databases. Article selection, data extraction and quality evaluation were carried out by two independent reviewers. Studies containing auditory evaluation of patients with congenital or acquired Zika virus infection; and/or hypotheses or evidences on the pathophysiology of auditory impairment associated with Zika virus; and/or recommendations on screening and follow-up of patients with auditory impairment by Zika virus were included. A total of 27 articles were selected. Sensorineural and transient hearing loss were reported in six adults with acquired Zika virus infection. Of the 962 studied children, 482 had microcephaly and 145 had diagnostic confirmation of Zika virus; 515 of the 624 children with auditory evaluation performed only screening tests with otoacoustic emissions testing and/or automated click-stimuli auditory brainstem response testing. Studies in prenatally exposed children were very heterogeneous and great variations in the frequency of altered otoacoustic emissions and automated click-stimuli auditory brainstem response occurred across the studies. Altered otoacoustic emissions varied from 0% to 75%, while altered automated click-stimuli auditory brainstem response varied from 0% to 29.2%. Sensorineural, retrocochlear or central origin impairment could not be ruled out. One study with infected mice found no microscopic damage to cochlear hair cells. Studies on the pathogenesis of auditory changes in humans are limited to hypotheses and recommendations still include points of controversy. The available data are still insufficient to understand the full spectrum of the involvement of the auditory organs by Zika virus, the pathogenesis of this involvement or even to confirm the causal association between auditory involvement and virus infection. The screening and follow-up recommendations still present points of controversy.