Assessing the Clinical Characteristics and Management of COVID-19 among Pediatric Patients in Ghana: Findings and Implications
There is an increasing focus across countries on researching the management of children admitted to hospital with COVID-19. This stems from an increasing prevalence due to new variants, combined with concerns with the overuse of antimicrobials driving up resistance rates. Standard treatment guidelin...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Antibiotics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/12/2/283 |
| _version_ | 1797622778165198848 |
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| author | Israel Abebrese Sefah Seth Adade Sarkodie Giuseppe Pichierri Natalie Schellack Brian Godman |
| author_facet | Israel Abebrese Sefah Seth Adade Sarkodie Giuseppe Pichierri Natalie Schellack Brian Godman |
| author_sort | Israel Abebrese Sefah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is an increasing focus across countries on researching the management of children admitted to hospital with COVID-19. This stems from an increasing prevalence due to new variants, combined with concerns with the overuse of antimicrobials driving up resistance rates. Standard treatment guidelines (STGs) have been produced in Ghana to improve their care. Consequently, there is a need to document the clinical characteristics of children diagnosed and admitted with COVID-19 to our hospital in Ghana, factors influencing compliance to the STG and treatment outcomes. In all, 201 patients were surveyed between March 2020 and December 2021, with males accounting for 51.7% of surveyed children. Those aged between 6 and 10 years were the largest group (44.8%). Nasal congestion and fever were some of the commonest presenting complaints, while pneumonia was the commonest (80.6%) COVID-19 complication. In all, 80.0% of all admissions were discharged with no untreated complications, with a 10.9% mortality rate. A combination of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine (41.29%) was the most prescribed antimicrobial regimen. Compliance to the STG was variable (68.2% compliance). Increased compliance was associated with a sore throat as a presenting symptom. Mortality increased following transfer to the ICU. However, current recommendations to prescribe antimicrobials without demonstrable bacterial or fungal infections needs changing to reduce future resistance. These are areas to address in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:15:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-74dfe6f08dc64fbba308ccc4822a3648 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-6382 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:15:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antibiotics |
| spelling | doaj.art-74dfe6f08dc64fbba308ccc4822a36482023-11-16T18:42:48ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822023-02-0112228310.3390/antibiotics12020283Assessing the Clinical Characteristics and Management of COVID-19 among Pediatric Patients in Ghana: Findings and ImplicationsIsrael Abebrese Sefah0Seth Adade Sarkodie1Giuseppe Pichierri2Natalie Schellack3Brian Godman4Pharmacy Practice Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho PMB 31, GhanaSchool of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho PMB 31, GhanaMicrobiology Department, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Lowes Bridge Torbay Hospital, Torquay TQ2 7AA, UKDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South AfricaDepartment of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UKThere is an increasing focus across countries on researching the management of children admitted to hospital with COVID-19. This stems from an increasing prevalence due to new variants, combined with concerns with the overuse of antimicrobials driving up resistance rates. Standard treatment guidelines (STGs) have been produced in Ghana to improve their care. Consequently, there is a need to document the clinical characteristics of children diagnosed and admitted with COVID-19 to our hospital in Ghana, factors influencing compliance to the STG and treatment outcomes. In all, 201 patients were surveyed between March 2020 and December 2021, with males accounting for 51.7% of surveyed children. Those aged between 6 and 10 years were the largest group (44.8%). Nasal congestion and fever were some of the commonest presenting complaints, while pneumonia was the commonest (80.6%) COVID-19 complication. In all, 80.0% of all admissions were discharged with no untreated complications, with a 10.9% mortality rate. A combination of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine (41.29%) was the most prescribed antimicrobial regimen. Compliance to the STG was variable (68.2% compliance). Increased compliance was associated with a sore throat as a presenting symptom. Mortality increased following transfer to the ICU. However, current recommendations to prescribe antimicrobials without demonstrable bacterial or fungal infections needs changing to reduce future resistance. These are areas to address in the future.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/12/2/283antimicrobialschildrenCOVID-19Ghanaguidelineshospitals |
| spellingShingle | Israel Abebrese Sefah Seth Adade Sarkodie Giuseppe Pichierri Natalie Schellack Brian Godman Assessing the Clinical Characteristics and Management of COVID-19 among Pediatric Patients in Ghana: Findings and Implications Antibiotics antimicrobials children COVID-19 Ghana guidelines hospitals |
| title | Assessing the Clinical Characteristics and Management of COVID-19 among Pediatric Patients in Ghana: Findings and Implications |
| title_full | Assessing the Clinical Characteristics and Management of COVID-19 among Pediatric Patients in Ghana: Findings and Implications |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the Clinical Characteristics and Management of COVID-19 among Pediatric Patients in Ghana: Findings and Implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the Clinical Characteristics and Management of COVID-19 among Pediatric Patients in Ghana: Findings and Implications |
| title_short | Assessing the Clinical Characteristics and Management of COVID-19 among Pediatric Patients in Ghana: Findings and Implications |
| title_sort | assessing the clinical characteristics and management of covid 19 among pediatric patients in ghana findings and implications |
| topic | antimicrobials children COVID-19 Ghana guidelines hospitals |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/12/2/283 |
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