Open AccessSARS-CoV-2 screening in pediatric cancer patients before hospitalization for chemotherapy infusion
Author(s) -
M Victoria Cabarcos,
Myriam Onoratelli,
Mariano Lorenzo,
S. F. P. D. Guzman,
M. Rios,
Marina Spilotti,
Sandra Gómez,
Lidia Fraquelli
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
archivos argentinos de pediatría
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.236
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1668-3501
pISSN - 0325-0075
DOI - 10.5546/aap.2022.eng.118
Subject(s) - medicine , asymptomatic , chemotherapy , confidence interval , covid-19 , observational study , disease , pediatrics , infectious disease (medical specialty)
An observational, prospective study was carried out at Hospital Garrahan. Its objectives were to establish the rate of asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among children with cancer and/or their caregivers during hospitalization for chemotherapy, and describe the impact of ongoing treatment among those positive for SARS-CoV-2 or with symptoms compatible with infection during hospitalization. Patients with onco-hematological disease and their caregivers were included. A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 was done. A total of 733 hospitalizations were analyzed. The SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate was 2.2% (95% confidence interval: 1.35-3.52). All patients with a detectable test result completed chemotherapy. Also, 7.7% of patients developed symptoms compatible with a suspected case although they had an undetectable test result, and 77% of them were able to continue treatment.