Epidemiological insights into severe hepatitis in pediatric inpatients
Fuping Guo,
Xudong Ma,
Qijun Shan,
Yuelun Zhang,
Sifa Gao,
Jieqin Chen,
Yujie Chen,
Dawei Liu,
Taisheng Li,
Feng Zhang,
Xiang Zhou
Affiliations
Fuping Guo
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
Xudong Ma
Department of Medical Administration, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing 100044, China
Qijun Shan
Department of Information Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
Yuelun Zhang
Central Research Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
Sifa Gao
Department of Medical Administration, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing 100044, China
Jieqin Chen
Department of Information Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
Yujie Chen
Department of Information Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
Dawei Liu
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
Taisheng Li
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; Corresponding author
Feng Zhang
Department of Information Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; Corresponding author
Xiang Zhou
Department of Information Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; Department of Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; Corresponding author
Summary: There is limited statistical data on severe hepatitis among hospitalized children in China at a national level. This nationwide study analyzed data from 34,410 children hospitalized for severe hepatitis in mainland China from 2016 to 2022. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 6.1%. Viral hepatitis accounted for 14.9% of cases, with hepatitis B being the most prevalent. Indeterminate etiology, present in 79.0% of cases, was an independent risk factor for mortality. Findings emphasize the need for enhanced diagnostic methods and targeted interventions for children with severe hepatitis of unknown cause and suggest focused hepatitis B monitoring in older children to improve outcomes. Establishing a dedicated surveillance system is crucial for improving the prognosis of children at high risk for in-hospital mortality due to severe hepatitis.
