Thromboelastography profiles in critically ill children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

Abstract

To describe critically ill children's coagulation profile with the multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) related to coronavirus. Single-center, observational study at a tertiary, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in children aged 1month to 18years. Sixteen children, with a median age of 5.4years (interquartile range [IQR] 2.1, 11.75), 56% female, admission Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 (PELOD-2) score of 3.5 (IQR 2, 5), and median PICU length of stay 3days (IQR 1.5, 4), met criteria of MIS-C. All patients received acetylsalicylic acid (80-100mg/kg) and none received anticoagulation. Sixty-three percent (10/16) of children had out-of-normal range values on thromboelastography (TEG) (44% [7/16] with hypercoagulability and 19% [3/16] with hypocoagulability). Of those with hypercoagulability, 19% (3/16) had rapid clot formation, and 25% (4/16) had increased clot strength. In 69% (11/16) of children, there was impaired fibrinolysis (0% lysis at 30minutes) on TEG. Seventy-five percent (12/16) of children had out-of-normal range value on standard coagulation assays (37.5% [6/16] with hypocoagulability and 37.5% [6/16] with hypercoagulability). TEG-G (clot strength as measured by TEG) value (ρ -.553, p=.033) and platelet count (ρ -.840, p<.0001) were correlated with admission PELOD-2 score. TEG-G value (ρ -.506, p=.04) and platelet count (ρ -.539, p=.03) were correlated with the duration of intensive care unit stay. Coagulation abnormalities are frequent in children with MIS-C. TEG parameter and platelet count are correlated with the severity of multiorgan dysfunction and the duration of intensive care stay. Multicenter studies are needed to confirm the clinical implications of these coagulation abnormalities.