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The following is a summary of “Emergency department utilization among children with Long COVID symptoms: a COVID-19 research consortium study” published in the October 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Bhimani et al. 

Long COVID-19, defined as persistent symptoms beyond the acute phase of infection, is poorly characterized in children.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to determine whether children exhibiting long COVID-19 symptoms had higher ED utilization.  

They analyzed data from the Health Jump ambulatory database (March 2020 to May 2023) to identify pediatric COVID-19 cases, defining long COVID-19 symptoms 30–180 days after initial diagnosis. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models assessed the relationship between long COVID and ED utilization.  

The results showed 130,010 children diagnosed with COVID-19, 43,645 (33.6%) had at least 1 long COVID-19 symptom. Children with long COVID-19 symptoms had 152% higher odds (OR: 2.52, CI: 2.32–2.73) of ED visits, while those with “chest pain” had 255% higher odds (AOR: 3.55, CI: 2.73–4.54) and those with “fluid and electrolyte disturbances” had 229% higher odds (AOR: 3.29, CI: 2.23–4.73) compared to children without those symptoms.  

They concluded that children with long COVID-19 symptoms have significantly increased ED visits, emphasizing the need for better management of these symptoms.  

Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-024-04817-9