ISSN: 2791-7967
How Covid-19 Pandemic Affected Childhood Tuberculosis? A Single-Center Experience with Cases
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Research Article
VOLUME: 1 ISSUE: 2
P: 38-45
September 2020

How Covid-19 Pandemic Affected Childhood Tuberculosis? A Single-Center Experience with Cases

J Eur Med Sci 2020;1(2):38-45
DOI: 10.37609/cmj.1448
Ümit Çelik 1
Ümmühan Çay 1
İlknur Tolunay 2
1. Adana Şehir Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Çocuk Enfeksiyon Bilim Dalı, Adana, Türkiye
2. Adana Şehir Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Çocuk Yoğun Bakım, Adana, Türkiye
No information available.
No information available
Received Date: 25.06.2020
Accepted Date: 30.09.2020
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ABSTRACT

Objective

While COVID-19 shows its destructive effects in all areas in the world, according to the information we have obtained up to now, COVID-19 is a well-proven infection in childhood. Tuberculosis is a global health problem, and early diagnosis and treatment of children are extremely important. Both diseases often present with fever and cough symptoms and are transmitted through close contact. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the characteristics of pediatric patients diagnosed with tuberculosis during the COVID-19 pandemic on a case-by-case basis, and to evaluate demographic, clinical, laboratory, treatment and prognoses.

Material and Method

The demographic, clinical, laboratory findings, treatment, and prognosis of children diagnosed with tuberculosis in our pediatric clinics between 11 March 2020 15 June 2020 were evaluated.

Results

During the first thirteen weeks of pandemic, five children were diagnosed with tuberculosis in our center. The COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction in the nasopharyngeal swab was examined in two patients due to fever and cough symptoms and was found negative. All patients had extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and three patients had also pulmonary tuberculosis. One of the patients was pulmonary and pleural tuberculosis, one was recurrent lymph node tuberculosis, one was vertebral and pulmonary tuberculosis, one was central nervous system and pulmonary tuberculosis, and one was pleural and abdominal tuberculosis. Tuberculosis PCR was positive in three patients. Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture was positive in three patients. All patients were treated with quadruple antituberculosis therapy.

Conclusion

During the pandemic period, tuberculosis continued to be an important public health problem, and there was no decrease in newly diagnosed cases. In patients without typical COVID-19 history and imaging findings, tuberculosis should be considered, and health institutions should take the necessary precautions in order not to delay the diagnosis and treatment of these patients.