Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Kids - What You Need to Know

You may have seen news of a new inflammatory disorder in children, related to COVID-19 infection.  This new entity is called Multisystem Inflammatory Disorder in Children (MIS-C for short).  The condition is still rare when looking at the entire pediatric population; however, we want to keep you aware of what to look for with this syndrome.  We are still learning more about COVID-19 every day so this blog post is based on what current information we have.

Criteria for diagnosis includes:

• Less than 21 years of age (Age range of most cases is 1-17 with a median age of 11)
• Fever
• Laboratory evidence of inflammation
• Severe illness requiring hospitalization
• Greater than 2 organ systems involved (Cardiac, renal, respiratory, hematologic, gastrointestinal, dermatological, or neurological)
• Current or recent Sars-Cov 2 infection: diagnosed by positive PCR nasal swab, positive antibody test, or documented interaction with a COVID-19 positive patient within the last 4 weeks.

What the syndrome looks like:

• Fever (greater than 100.4 F) for over 24 hours
• Abdominal pain with vomiting or diarrhea
• Rash
• Possible respiratory symptoms
• Altered mental status – child seeming confused or overly sleepy

What to do if you are concerned:

• Call your pediatrician immediately to discuss
• Your pediatrician can determine if your child needs to be seen in the office or the ER

What to expect if you are sent to the ER for evaluation:

• IV fluids
• Labwork to look for signs of MIS-C, recent COVID-19 infection, and other illnesses that can present in a similar way
• Chest X-Ray if indicated
• ECG and Echo if indicated

Always feel comfortable calling our office with any concerns or questions 513-984-5552.  We are here to help!

Author

Alison Heffernan, MD Board Certified Pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics