Journal Article

Changes in the epidemiology of pediatric brain abscesses pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic: a single-center study

Xiang, Yongjun, Bai, Zhenjiang, Liu, Yuchen, Han, Yong, Zhou, Ruxuan, Wang, Hangzhou, Yang, Tianquan, Sun, Jingxuan, Chen, Min, Hao, Chuangli, Yuan, Bin

2024

Overview

Background An increased incidence of brain abscesses was observed post-COVID-19 pandemic. However, it remains unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the epidemiology of brain abscesses. This study aimed to investigate changes in the epidemiology of brain abscesses pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A retrospective study of demographic, clinical, radiological, and laboratory characteristics of patients with brain abscesses in Children's Hospital of Soochow University from 2015–2023 was performed. Results A total of 34 patients were admitted to the hospital during the study. The post-COVID-19 cohort had an average of 5.5 cases/year, which is a 129.2% increase compared to the pre-COVID-19 cohort's average of 2.4 cases/year. Additionally, the rates of fever upon admission (86.36% vs 50%, p  = 0.04) and experiencing high-grade fever within 6 weeks before admission (40.91% vs 8.33%, p  = 0.044) were significantly increased. A potential rise in the rate of intensive care unit admission was observed (36.36% vs 8.33%, p  = 0.113). The average value of globulin in the post-COVID cohort was significantly higher compared to the pre-COVID cohort (31.60 ± 5.97 vs 25.50 ± 5.08, p  = 0.009). Streptococcal infections were the predominant cause of brain abscesses in both cohorts (40% vs 43.75%, p  = 0.57). Conclusions There was a significant increase in the number of brain abscess patients after the COVID-19 pandemic. This underscores the importance of children receiving the streptococcal vaccine.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Abscess / Abscesses / Adolescent / Biochemistry / Blood / Brain / Brain abscess / Brain Abscess - epidemiology / Brain research / Child / Child, Preschool / Children & youth / China - epidemiology / Coma / Complications and side effects / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - epidemiology / Empyema / Epidemics / Epidemiology / Female / Fever / Forecasts and trends / Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data / Humans / Incidence / Infant / Infections / Internal Medicine / Magnetic resonance imaging / Male / Medical laboratories / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Pandemics / Patients / Pediatric research / Pediatrics / Retrospective Studies / SARS-CoV-2 / Shelter in place / Streptococcal infections / Trends