Paediatric COVID-19 Outcomes: Haematology Parameters, Mortality Rates, and Hospitalization Duration

Abdulrahman Alshalani; Badi A Alotaibi; Jehad A Aldali; Hamood AlSudais; Abdulaziz M Almuqrin; Nasser A Alshehri; Nasser B Alamar; Mogtba A Alhejji

doi:10.3390/children10101615

Paediatric COVID-19 Outcomes: Haematology Parameters, Mortality Rates, and Hospitalization Duration

Children (Basel). 2023 Sep 28;10(10):1615. doi: 10.3390/children10101615.

Authors

Abdulrahman Alshalani¹, Badi A Alotaibi^{2

3}, Jehad A Aldali⁴, Hamood AlSudais¹, Abdulaziz M Almuqrin¹, Nasser A Alshehri², Nasser B Alamar², Mogtba A Alhejji²

Affiliations

¹ Chair of Medical and Molecular Genetics Research, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 12372, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia.
³ King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13317, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

The global COVID-19 pandemic has strained healthcare systems around the globe, necessitating extensive research into the variables that affect patient outcomes. This study examines the relationships between key haematology parameters, duration of hospital stay (LOS), and mortality rates in COVID-19 cases in paediatric patients. Researchers analyse relationships between independent variables (COVID-19 status, age, sex) and dependent variables (mortality, LOS, coagulation parameters, WBC count, RBC parameters) using multivariate regression models. Although the R-square values (0.6-3.7%) indicate limited explanatory power, coefficients with statistical significance establish the impact of independent variables on outcomes. Age emerges as a crucial predictor of mortality; the mortality rate decreases by 1.768% per age group. Both COVID-19 status and age have an inverse relationship with length of stay, emphasising the milder hospitalisation of children. Platelet counts decline with age and male gender, potentially revealing the influence of COVID-19 on haematological markers. There are significant correlations between COVID-19 status, age, gender and coagulation measures. Lower prothrombin time and D-dimer concentrations in elder COVID-19 patients are indicative of distinct coagulation profiles. WBC and RBC parameters exhibit correlations with variables: COVID-19-positive patients have lower WBC counts, whereas male COVID-19-positive patients have higher RBC counts. In addition, correlations exist between independent variables and the red cell distribution width, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular haemoglobin. However, there is no correlation between mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and outcomes, indicating complex interactions between haematological markers and outcomes. In essence, this study underlines the importance of age in COVID-19 mortality, provides novel insights into platelet counts, and emphasises the complexity of the relationships between haematological parameters and disease outcomes.

Keywords: COVID-19 outcomes; coagulation profiles; haematology parameters; mortality predictors; peadiatric patients.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.