Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Medical Sciences, Ali-Ebne-Abitaleb School of Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran
2
Children Growth Disorder Research Center, Comprehensive Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Abstract
Background: Although COVID-19 is primarily considered a respiratory infection, accumulating evidence indicates that the kidneys may also be vulnerable to injury, particularly in pediatric patients. Renal dysfunction in children with COVID-19 is often overlooked but may carry important long-term consequences. This study aimed to evaluate kidney function abnormalities in hospitalized children with confirmed COVID-19.
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 191 children diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted to Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, Iran, were evaluated. Key renal function indicators, including serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and urinalysis findings, were extracted and compared across age groups and disease severity categories.
Results: Elevated serum creatinine was observed in 13.1% (25 out of 191) of children, with a significantly higher prevalence among children aged ≤3 years (26.1%, 24 out of 92) than in older children (1.0%, 1/99; p<0.001). Among 111 patients with documented disease severity (58.1%), elevated creatinine was more common in non-severe cases (25.3%, 24 out of 95) than in severe/critical cases (6.3%, 1 out of 16), although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.114). This severity analysis is exploratory because severity data were missing for 80 patients.
Conclusion: Elevated serum creatinine was common in hospitalized children with COVID-19, even in non-severe cases, especially among children ≤3 years-old. Routine kidney function assessment may help identify children who require monitoring. However, this cross-sectional study cannot determine whether early detection prevents long-term renal sequelae; prospective studies with follow-up are needed.
Keywords
Journal of Integrated Maternal and Pediatric Care