Authors
Ling Su, Huo-Shu Chen, Wen-Liu Qiu, Wei-Min Zhong, Min Ren, Wen-Qiong He
Published in
BMC pediatrics. Jun 27, 2026. Epub Jun 27, 2026.
Abstract
With the ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the rational use of medications and clinical profiles in the afflicted children-a particularly susceptible group-warrant further investigation. This paper analyzed the rationality of medicinal treatments and clinical characteristics in children with COVID-19.
We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of pediatric inpatients with COVID-19 admitted to the Fifth Hospital of Xiamen from January 2025 to December 2025. Clinical classifications, symptoms, outcomes, complications and the use of therapeutic drugs were statistically analyzed. The rationality of medication was assessed by indication consistency and administration routes.
The clinical cure and improvement rate reached 99.22% in the 129 confirmed pediatric cases of COVID-19. They were categorized into a mild group (69 cases, 53.49%), a moderate group (59 cases, 45.74%), and a critical group (1 case, 0.77%). Clinical manifestations mainly included fever, cough, and runny nose. A significant difference was evident between the mild group and the moderate group in age, weight, outcomes, and clinical symptoms (e.g., coughing, runny nose, and nasal congestion) (P < 0.05 for all). Compared with the mild group, the moderate group reported a significantly higher reception of expectorants, nebulized inhalation medication, antihistamines, glucocorticoids, and antibiotics (P < 0.05 for all). In the mild and moderate groups, the irrational use of medications involved 3 types of drugs in 15 pediatric patients, including 2 cases (3.39%) of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), 8 cases (13.11%) of antibacterial drugs, and 5 cases (5.43%) of interferon alpha 1b for injection. The irrationality of the first two types was attributed to inconsistent medication indications and that of the last type to mismatched administration routes. One rare complication, specifically multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), was identified in the critical group.
The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in children are predominantly mild and moderate, with an overall favorable prognosis. The moderate group presents more pronounced respiratory symptoms (cough, runny nose, nasal congestion). The risk of complications in children with mild to moderate symptoms is similar, emphasizing the importance of early screening and prevention of complications. In clinical care for children with COVID-19, medication irrationality, such as indication inconsistency and mismatched administration routes, still exist in the administration of antiviral drugs, glucocorticoids, and antibiotics in some children with mild to moderate symptoms. The findings indicate a need for further optimizing real-world clinical practice and provide some insights for rational drug use.
PMID:
42374298
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Jun 2026.
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