Severe hepatitis in pediatric patients: The Severe Hepatitis In Pediatric Patients (SHIPP) registry

Clusters of severe acute hepatitis in children were reported worldwide beginning in October 2021. Although most children recovered, some progressed to liver failure leading to death or liver transplantation. Herein, we characterize the clinical characteristics, and outcomes of this group of children through an international collaborative effort.

Participation was solicited via a global listserv to pediatric gastroenterologists worldwide. Patients <18 years, alanine aminotransferase >500 U/L, without chronic liver disease or acetaminophen ingestion were eligible. Data were submitted by individual sites into a Research Electronic Data Capture registry created in July 2022.

Two hundred and seven cases were collected, with a peak incidence of 28 in April 2022. The median age was 40 months, 52.7% were male, 63.3% were white, and 44% were Hispanic. At presentation, 80% reported gastrointestinal symptoms followed by fever (27.7%). The median duration of hospitalization was 5.5 days with 51 patients requiring intensive care. Adenovirus serum/whole blood DNA was detected in 28/133 (21%) and seven patients were treated with cidofovir. Liver biopsies, performed in 76 patients revealed portal and lobular inflammation with none identifying a viral etiology. Eleven patients underwent liver transplantation, four were adenovirus positive, all of whom survived. There were four reported deaths.

In this large data set of pediatric patients with severe acute hepatitis, the majority did not have a singular definitive etiology but did recover spontaneously. Continued community surveillance and close cooperation are critical toward understanding the etiology of such clusters in pediatrics.