Characteristics and Outcomes of US Children and Adolescents With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Compared With Severe Acute COVID-19

Authors

Leora R. Feldstein, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mark W. Tenforde, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Kevin G. Friedman, Boston Children's Hospital
Margaret Newhams, Boston Children's Hospital
Erica Billig Rose, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Heda Dapul, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Vijaya L. Soma, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Aline B. Maddux, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Peter M. Mourani, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Cindy Bowens, University of Texas Southwestern
Mia Maamari, University of Texas Southwestern
Mark W. Hall, Nationwide Children's Hospital
Becky J. Riggs, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
John S. Giuliano Jr, Yale University School of Medicine
Aalok R. Singh, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital
Simon Li, Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital
Michele Kong, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Jennifer E. Schuster, Children's Mercy Kansas City
Gwenn E. McLaughlin, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Stephanie P. Schwartz, UNC Chapel Hill
Tracie C. Walker, UNC Chapel Hill
Laura L. Loftis, Baylor College of Medicine
Charlotte V. Hobbs, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Natasha B. Halasa, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Sule Doymaz, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Christopher J. Babbitt, Miller Children's and Women's Hospital of Long Beach
Janet R. Hume, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital
Shira J. Gertz, Saint Barnabas Medical Center
Katherine Irby, Arkansas Children's Hospital

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-24-2021

Publication Title

JAMA

Abstract

Importance Refinement of criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) may inform efforts to improve health outcomes. Objective To compare clinical characteristics and outcomes of children and adolescents with MIS-C vs those with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Setting, Design, and Participants Case series of 1116 patients aged younger than 21 years hospitalized between March 15 and October 31, 2020, at 66 US hospitals in 31 states. Final date of follow-up was January 5, 2021. Patients with MIS-C had fever, inflammation, multisystem involvement, and positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or antibody test results or recent exposure with no alternate diagnosis. Patients with COVID-19 had positive RT-PCR test results and severe organ system involvement. Exposure SARS-CoV-2. Main Outcomes and Measures Presenting symptoms, organ system complications, laboratory biomarkers, interventions, and clinical outcomes. Multivariable regression was used to compute adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) of factors associated with MIS-C vs COVID-19. Results Of 1116 patients (median age, 9.7 years; 45% female), 539 (48%) were diagnosed with MIS-C and 577 (52%) with COVID-19. Compared with patients with COVID-19, patients with MIS-C were more likely to be 6 to 12 years old (40.8% vs 19.4%; absolute risk difference [RD], 21.4% [95% CI, 16.1%-26.7%]; aRR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.33-1.72] vs 0-5 years) and non-Hispanic Black (32.3% vs 21.5%; RD, 10.8% [95% CI, 5.6%-16.0%]; aRR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.17-1.76] vs White). Compared with patients with COVID-19, patients with MIS-C were more likely to have cardiorespiratory involvement (56.0% vs 8.8%; RD, 47.2% [95% CI, 42.4%-52.0%]; aRR, 2.99 [95% CI, 2.55-3.50] vs respiratory involvement), cardiovascular without respiratory involvement (10.6% vs 2.9%; RD, 7.7% [95% CI, 4.7%-10.6%]; aRR, 2.49 [95% CI, 2.05-3.02] vs respiratory involvement), and mucocutaneous without cardiorespiratory involvement (7.1% vs 2.3%; RD, 4.8% [95% CI, 2.3%-7.3%]; aRR, 2.29 [95% CI, 1.84-2.85] vs respiratory involvement). Patients with MIS-C had higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (median, 6.4 vs 2.7, P < .001), higher C-reactive protein level (median, 152 mg/L vs 33 mg/L; P < .001), and lower platelet count (<150 ×103 cells/μL [212/523 {41%} vs 84/486 {17%}, P < .001]). A total of 398 patients (73.8%) with MIS-C and 253 (43.8%) with COVID-19 were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 10 (1.9%) with MIS-C and 8 (1.4%) with COVID-19 died during hospitalization. Among patients with MIS-C with reduced left ventricular systolic function (172/503, 34.2%) and coronary artery aneurysm (57/424, 13.4%), an estimated 91.0% (95% CI, 86.0%-94.7%) and 79.1% (95% CI, 67.1%-89.1%), respectively, normalized within 30 days. Conclusions and Relevance This case series of patients with MIS-C and with COVID-19 identified patterns of clinical presentation and organ system involvement. These patterns may help differentiate between MIS-C and COVID-19.

PubMed ID

33625505

Volume

325(11)

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