Lung involvement in children with COVID-19 multisystem inflammatory syndrome

Area of Science:

• Pediatric critical care medicine
• Infectious diseases
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a post-infectious complication of COVID-19, often presenting with cardiac involvement.
• Pulmonary function data and detailed lung imaging findings in MIS-C patients are scarce.
• Structured light plethysmography (SLP) offers a non-contact method for assessing lung function, crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discussion:

• This study pioneers the use of SLP to evaluate lung function in children with MIS-C.
• It investigates lung involvement through imaging and functional assessment at admission and follow-up.
• The research addresses a critical gap in understanding the respiratory sequelae of MIS-C.

Key Insights:

• Initial lung involvement in MIS-C can be assessed via imaging and SLP.
• Pulmonary function is evaluated at hospital admission and 6 months post-admission.
• SLP provides a safe and effective alternative to spirometry for MIS-C lung function assessment.

Outlook:

• Further research should explore the long-term respiratory outcomes in MIS-C survivors.
• Understanding lung involvement can inform clinical management and therapeutic strategies for MIS-C.
• This study establishes a baseline for future investigations into pediatric post-infectious inflammatory syndromes.