Espectro clínico y complicaciones en niños cubanos con presentación digestiva de la COVID-19

Introduction: The increase in digestive symptoms of the COVID-19 constitutes an additional aggravation for the management of the infection, given the report of high viral loads in the respiratory secretions and intestinal fluid of the patients; Above all, in environments where hygienic-epidemiological measures are not complied with.Objective: To characterize digestive symptoms of the COVID-19 infection in children.Material and Method: a descriptive and retrospective observational study was carried out in patients with digestive symptoms of the COVID-19 admitted to the San Miguel del Padrón Pediatric Teaching Hospital from April 2020 to August 2021. The variables studied were: age, sex, symptoms and signs on admission, complications, evolution and condition at hospital discharge.Results: Of the 577 patients admitted to the hospital with digestive symptoms of the COVID-19, 59.6 % were male and 58.1 % were children under 5 years of age. There was no comorbidity in 95.3 % of cases. The most frequent symptoms were diarrhea (61.5%), abdominal pain (35.7 %) and vomiting (34.3 %). Hydroelectrolyte and acid-base disturbances (10.7 %), organ dysfunction without insufficiency (7.6 %), and appendicitis (2.1 %) were the most reported complications. There was regression of symptoms, negative PCR and favorable evolution in 99.8 % of the cases. The mortality rate in the study group was 0.2 %.Conclusions: The digestive presentation of the COVID-19 has variable symptoms, mostly favorable evolution, and low mortality in all age groups. Introducción: el incremento de síntomas digestivos de la COVID-19 constituye un agravante adicional para el manejo de la infección, dado el reporte de altas cargas virales en secreciones respiratorias y en el líquido intestinal de los enfermos; sobre todo, en ambientes donde no se cumplen las medidas higiénico-epidemiológicas.Objetivo: Caracterizar los síntomas digestivos de infección con la COVID-19 en niños.Material y Método: Estudio observacional descriptivo y retrospectivo en pacientes con síntomas digestivos de la COVID-19, ingresados en el Hospital Pediátrico Docente San Miguel del Padrón, de abril de 2020 a agosto de 2021. Las variables estudiadas fueron: edad, sexo, síntomas y signos al ingreso, complicaciones, evolución y condición al egreso hospitalario.Resultados: De los 577 pacientes ingresados en el hospital con síntomas digestivos de la COVID-19, 59,6 % correspondieron al sexo masculino y 58,1 % a menores de 5 años de edad. No hu