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. 2022 Nov;23(7):961-967.
doi: 10.1111/pedi.13396. Epub 2022 Aug 5.

Children, adolescents, and young adults hospitalized with COVID-19 and diabetes in summer 2021

Nickolas T Agathis  1   2 , Lindsay S Womack  2   3 , Bryant J Webber  1   2 , Rewa Choudhary  1   2 , Valentine Wanga  1   2 , Jean Y Ko  2   3 , Hannah Dupont  2   3 , Giuseppina Imperatore  4 , Emilia H Koumans  2   3 , Sharon Saydah  2   3 , Anne A Kimball  2 , David A Siegel  2   3 ; Pediatric COVID-19 Hospital Investigation Team
Affiliations

Children, adolescents, and young adults hospitalized with COVID-19 and diabetes in summer 2021

Nickolas T Agathis et al. Pediatr Diabetes. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Introduction: More information is needed to understand the clinical epidemiology of children and young adults hospitalized with diabetes and COVID-19. We describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients <21 years old hospitalized with COVID-19 and either Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM or T2DM) during peak incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection with the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant.

Methods: This is a descriptive sub-analysis of a retrospective chart review of patients aged <21 years hospitalized with COVID-19 in six US children's hospitals during July-August 2021. Patients with COVID-19 and either newly diagnosed or known T1DM or T2DM were described using originally collected data and diabetes-related data specifically collected on these patients.

Results: Of the 58 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and diabetes, 34 had T1DM and 24 had T2DM. Of those with T1DM and T2DM, 26% (9/34) and 33% (8/24), respectively, were newly diagnosed. Among those >12 years old and eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, 93% were unvaccinated (42/45). Among patients with T1DM, 88% had diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and 6% had COVID-19 pneumonia; of those with T2DM, 46% had DKA and 58% had COVID-19 pneumonia. Of those with T1DM or T2DM, 59% and 46%, respectively, required ICU admission.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of considering diabetes in the evaluation of children and young adults presenting with COVID-19; the challenges of managing young patients who present with both COVID-19 and diabetes, particularly T2DM; and the importance of preventive actions like COVID-19 vaccination to prevent severe illness among those eligible with both COVID-19 and diabetes.

Keywords: COVID-19; diabetes; pediatrics.

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References

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