Paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19

13 May 2020

A clinical alert was published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health on 1 May 2020 highlighting a new COVID-19-associated paediatric hyper-inflammatory presentation.

Although COVID-19 respiratory presentation in children has been rare, several children have recently presented to hospitals in the South Thames region with the described Paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19. Many of the children have been severely unwell at presentation requiring resuscitation and transfer to paediatric intensive care.

Anaesthetic teams may be asked to review and assist in resuscitation and stabilisation of these children and this document from the Evelina London summarises some of the features of the presentation in this group of patients and associated anaesthetic considerations.

A study published in the Lancet on 7 May 2020, looks at a cluster of children presenting to the South Thames retrieval service with hyperinflammatory shock. The case cluster formed the basis of a national alert and is included in the document.

ENDS