The Predictors of Pneumonia in Children with COVID-19: The Pneumonia in Children with COVID-19

Meyri Arzu Yoldaş; Aslı Çelebi Tayfur; Ayşegül Danış; Fatma Hancı; Halil İbrahim Atasoy; Semih Bolu; Zeliha  Coşgun; Melike Elif Kalfaoğlu; Seyit Ali  Kayış

doi:10.4274/jpea.2023.200

Authors

Meyri Arzu Yoldaş Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0288-1529
Aslı Çelebi Tayfur Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6280-4587
Ayşegül Danış Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Neurology, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0962-2116
Fatma Hancı Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Neurology, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1019-9207
Halil İbrahim Atasoy Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1685-0352
Semih Bolu Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8183-2188
Zeliha Coşgun Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1996-1568
Melike Elif Kalfaoğlu Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1678-763X
Seyit Ali Kayış Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Information, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4791-8946

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4274/jpea.2023.200

Keywords:

Children with COVID-19, Pneumonia, Body mass index, Hematological parameters

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the presence of pneumonia and blood parameters in cases
of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to examine their predictive characteristics in terms of pneumonia. We reviewed the file
records of 151 pediatric patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed by the real time-reverse transcription polymerase chain
reaction test in nasopharyngeal swabs. The patients were divided into two groups based on direct chest X-ray and computed
tomography results in [Group 1 (n:41), with pneumonia findings, and Group 2 (n:110), with no pneumonia findings]. The groups’
demographic data, clinical and laboratory findings were compared. Pulmonary involvement was determined in 41 (27.1%) of
the 151 patients. The [body mass index (BMI) Z-score], red blood cell distribution width (RDW), mean platelet volume (MPV),
neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, passive leg raise, and D-dimer levels were significantly higher in patients with pneumonia than those
without pneumonia in our study. Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, BMI Z-score, MPV, and RDW were found to
be independent risk factors of pneumonia in patients. The current study showed higher levels of blood parameters in patients with
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID -19) presenting with pneumonia than those without pneumonia. We suggest that BMI-Z score
and MPV value may assist in predicting pulmonary involvement in patients with COVID-19.