Özet:

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and laboratory findings and to determine the treatment options of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with 32 beds in Ankara City Hospital between March 16, 2020 and December 16, 2021. Patient characteristics included age, gender, contact history, and co-morbidities. Laboratory investigations included complete blood count, biochemical evaluations, chest X-ray, and computed tomographic imaging of the thorax. Respiratory support therapy and extracorporeal therapy, and other medical treatments were recorded. Results: A total of 82 patients were admitted to the PICU after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Of all patients 64.6% (n=53) were male. The median age of the patients was 126.5 (37-185) months. Nearly half of the patients had a SpO2 below 92%. About half of the patients had lymphopenia, anemia, and elevated CRP and D-Dimer levels. Of the patients, 60% (n=47) were supported with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy, whereas 35% (n=28) were followed on invasive mechanical ventilation. The length of stay in the PICU was 11 days, whereas the total length of stay in the hospital was 19 days. Twelve patients (15.2%) died. Conclusion: In line with previous studies, our study planned to contribute to the literature in order to fill the diagnostic gap through clinical findings, laboratory values and chest radiographic examinations in COVID-19.