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. 2022 Sep 22;9(10):1441.
doi: 10.3390/children9101441.

Rhabdomyolysis in Pediatric Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Ping-Sheng Wu  1   2 , Shi-Bing Wong  1   2 , Ching-Feng Cheng  1   2 , Chun-Hsien Yu  1   2
Affiliations

Rhabdomyolysis in Pediatric Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Ping-Sheng Wu et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Rhabdomyolysis is a rare but severe complication in adult patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which can result in acute kidney injury and death; however, it is rarely reported in pediatric patients.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical features and outcomes of rhabdomyolysis in pediatric patients aged 0-18 years with COVID-19 who were hospitalized at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, an epicenter of COVID-19 in northern Taiwan.

Results: We treated eight patients with rhabdomyolysis during the omicron variant-Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (omicron variant-SARS-CoV-2) community outbreak and none during the alpha variant endemic. These eight patients shared stereotypical presentations, including the presence of bilateral calf pain after defervescence. The creatinine kinase (CK) levels were between 1346 and 6937 U/L on admission, and clinical course was uneventful after aggressive saline hydration.

Conclusion: Rhabdomyolysis is not a rare complication in pediatric patients with the omicron-SARS-CoV-2 infection, and reassurance of a good prognosis is important to alleviate family anxiety.

Keywords: COVID-19; child; hospital care; rhabdomyolysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Changes in creatinine kinase (CK) in eight patients with rhabdomyolysis after COVID-19 symptoms began. The trends of individuals’ CK level were shown by the solid lines.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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