Critically ill infant with coronavirus disease 2019

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infectious respiratory disease with manifestations ranging from mild respiratory symptoms to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. The severity and mortality have been found to be higher in elderly people and those with comorbidities. Data on the pediatric population affected by the pandemic are limited. Most pediatric COVID-19 cases reported so far in the literature are mild or asymptomatic ones. Management of critically ill children is associated with a high risk of aerosol generation and secondary infection. We report a case of an infant with severe COVID pneumonia who was successfully managed in the pediatric critical care unit of a dedicated COVID hospital taking proper infection control measures.

Keywords

• acute respiratory distress syndrome
• coronavirus
• mechanical ventilation
• pediatric intensive care unit
• pneumonia
• personal protective equipment