Pre-existing Immunocompromising Conditions and Outcomes of Acute COVID-19 Patients Admitted for Pediatric Intensive Care

BACKGROUND

We aimed to determine if pre-existing immunocompromising conditions (ICCs) were associated with the presentation or outcome of patients with acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) admitted for pediatric intensive care.

METHODS

55 hospitals in 30 U.S. states reported cases through the Overcoming COVID-19 public health surveillance registry. Patients <21 years admitted March 12, 2020-December 30, 2021 to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) or high acuity unit for acute COVID-19 were included.

RESULTS

Of 1,274 patients, 105 (8.2%) had an ICC including 33 (31.4%) hematologic malignancies, 24 (22.9%) primary immunodeficiencies and disorders of hematopoietic cells, 19 (18.1%) nonmalignant organ failure with solid organ transplantation, 16 (15.2%) solid tumors and 13 (12.4%) autoimmune disorders. Patients with ICCs were older, had more underlying renal conditions, and had lower white blood cell and platelet counts than those without ICCs, but had similar clinical disease severity upon admission. In-hospital mortality from COVID-19 was higher (11.4% vs. 4.6%, p = 0.005) and hospitalization was longer (p = 0.01) in patients with ICCs. New major morbidities upon discharge were not different between those with and without ICC (10.5% vs 13.9%, p = 0.40). In patients with ICC, bacterial co-infection was more common in those with life-threatening COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS

In this national case series of patients <21 years of age with acute COVID-19 admitted for intensive care, existence of a prior ICCs were associated with worse clinical outcomes. Reassuringly, most patients with ICCs hospitalized in the PICU for severe acute COVID-19 survived and were discharged home without new severe morbidities.