TY - JOUR
T1 - Postacute/Long COVID in Pediatrics
T2 - Development of a Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Clinic and Preliminary Case Series
AU - Morrow, Amanda
AU - Ng, Rowena
AU - Vargas, Gray
AU - Jashar, Dasal Tenzin
AU - Henning, Ellen
AU - Stinson, Nika
AU - Malone, Laura A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - The long-term sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infections in children is unknown. Guidance is needed on helpful models of care for an emerging subset of pediatric patients with postacute/long COVID who continue to experience persistent symptoms after initial COVID-19 diagnosis. Here, we describe a pediatric multidisciplinary post-COVID-19 rehabilitation clinic model as well as a case series of the initial cohort of patients who presented to this clinic. A consecutive sample of nine patients (pediatric patients <21 yrs of age) who presented to our clinic are included. The most common presenting symptoms were fatigue (8 of 9 patients), headaches (6 of 9), difficulty with schoolwork (6 of 8), "brain fog"(4 of 9), and dizziness/lightheadedness (4 of 9). Most patients had decreased scores on self-reported quality-of-life measures compared with healthy controls. In the patients who participated in neuropsychological testing, a subset demonstrated difficulties with sustained auditory attention and divided attention; however, most of these patients had preexisting attention and/or mood concerns. There were also some who self-reported elevated depression and anxiety symptoms. Pediatric patients with postacute/long COVID may present with a variety of physical, cognitive, and mood symptoms. We present a model of care to address these symptoms through a multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach.
AB - The long-term sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infections in children is unknown. Guidance is needed on helpful models of care for an emerging subset of pediatric patients with postacute/long COVID who continue to experience persistent symptoms after initial COVID-19 diagnosis. Here, we describe a pediatric multidisciplinary post-COVID-19 rehabilitation clinic model as well as a case series of the initial cohort of patients who presented to this clinic. A consecutive sample of nine patients (pediatric patients <21 yrs of age) who presented to our clinic are included. The most common presenting symptoms were fatigue (8 of 9 patients), headaches (6 of 9), difficulty with schoolwork (6 of 8), "brain fog"(4 of 9), and dizziness/lightheadedness (4 of 9). Most patients had decreased scores on self-reported quality-of-life measures compared with healthy controls. In the patients who participated in neuropsychological testing, a subset demonstrated difficulties with sustained auditory attention and divided attention; however, most of these patients had preexisting attention and/or mood concerns. There were also some who self-reported elevated depression and anxiety symptoms. Pediatric patients with postacute/long COVID may present with a variety of physical, cognitive, and mood symptoms. We present a model of care to address these symptoms through a multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach.
KW - Long COVID
KW - Pediatric Rehabilitation
KW - Postacute COVID Syndrome
KW - SARS-CoV-2
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121993810&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85121993810&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001896
DO - 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001896
M3 - Article
C2 - 34793374
AN - SCOPUS:85121993810
SN - 0894-9115
VL - 100
SP - 1140
EP - 1147
JO - American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
JF - American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
IS - 12
ER -