Purpose - to study particular properties of the course of the infection among hospitalizedchildren depending on the nature of their treatment provided in pre-hospitalizationperiod in order to improve the results of treatment of children with COVID-19.Material and methods. In a random sample 263 children with COVID-19, admittedto the Department of infectious diseases of the Regional Children's Clinical Hospitalof Chernivtsi, have been examined. The first clinical group includes 68 patients thatreceived antiviral treatment as a part of symptomatic therapy (average age 6,5 ± 0,74years, male ratio 54,4%), and the comparison group - 195 children that did not receiveantiviral activity treatment (average age 6,4 ± 0,41 years, male ratio 50,8%).Results. Most patients with COVID-19 presented signs of moderate to severe medicalstate when admitted to hospital. Patients that did not receive any antiviral therapy in thepre-hospitalization period showed delayed body temperature normalization response (onaverage on the 5th day of the treatment) and, starting from the day 10 of hospitalization,experienced elevated body temperature again caused by infectious and inflammatoryprocess as a result of COVID-19 complications. Changes concerning hemostasisinclude an increase of absolute count of platelets in the blood, reduction in plasmarecalcification time and increase of plasma D-dimer levels (p <0,05). Administration ofantiviral therapy to the children with Covid-19 in the outpatient setting is accompaniedwith absolute risk reduction of a positive PCR test 25% on the 14th day of the disease.Conclusions. Therefore, administration of antiviral therapy to the children with Covid-19in the outpatient setting is characterized with slightly faster temperature normalizationresponse, better clinical signs, virus elimination (minimization of the possibility of apositive PCR test 25%), as well as less excessive hypercoagulable disorder.

The aim of the research - to analyze the epidemiological and clinical peculiarities ofcoronavirus disease COVID-19 in infants compared to the older age group.Materials and methods. 188 inpatient cards of children who were hospitalized in theinfectious diseases departments of Chernivtsi Regional Children's Clinical Hospitalwith COVID-19 infection were analyzed, in particular, 63 children under 1 year of age(1st group) and 125 children aged 1 year and older (2nd group, comparison group).A complex of anamnestic, epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19infection was determined in hospitalized children.Results. During the analysis of the data it was found that the epidemiologicalsignificance was related to family contacts, unidentified non-family sources of infectionwere observed in a quarter of infants (25,4%) and 39,2% of children of group II (p<0,05). The most common clinical symptoms in the general cohort were fever, weaknessand lethargy, loss of appetite, and signs of catarrhal pharyngitis. Symptoms of upperrespiratory tract disease prevailed in infancy, in particular, most had nasal congestion(55,6% vs. 40,2%, p>0,05), 30,2% infants had rhinorrhea (16,8% in the 2nd group,p<0,05), while in the comparison group the symptoms from the lower respiratory tractdominated, in particular, cough was significant more often observed (59,2% vs. 26,9%in the 1st group, p<0,05). Lesions of the lower respiratory tract with the development ofpneumonia were significant more common in 32,0% of children in 2nd group and only in8,0% of infants (p<0,05).Conclusions. Epidemiologically, the start of COVID-19 pandemic in Chernivtsi regionwith restrictive quarantine measures was characterized by a predominance of familialinfection and a significant proportion of unexplained extracurricular sources of infectionin children. In most infants with coronavirus disease caused by the new SARS-CoV-2coronavirus, respiratory symptoms were dominated by signs of upper respiratory tractinvolvement.

Infectious and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract in children are the «leaders» among all pathologies of childhood. Optimization of therapeutic and prophylactic approaches for infectious and inflammatory pathologies of the respiratory system by reducing the frequency of unreasonable antibiotic therapy and eliminating polypragmatic use is a relevant problem of modern pediatrics and otolaryngology. According to WHO guidelines, modern standardized herbal medicines are not inferior in efficiency to synthetic ones. The aim — to analyze the results of assessment by doctors of the preventive and therapeutic efficacy of the remedy «Alpicol» on the basis of a questionnaire, as well as clinical examination of patients before using the medication and after completion of the course of treatment. Materials and methods. The advantages of «Alpicol» were analyzed through a questionnaire offered by first contact practitioners to children in order to receive feedback on the assessment of the preventive and therapeutic efficacy of this medication. Doctors from 9 regions of Ukraine were involved, and 6,093 questionnaires of children of different ages were analyzed. Results. The frequency of registration of a pronounced paediatric pain (3 scores) with the use of the «Alpicol» medication significantly decreased (23.7 times), a moderate manifestation of the disease (2 scores), was 17 times less at the same time, mild manifestations of paediatric pain remained at the same level. Patients with a comorbid pathology of the respiratory tract in the form of recurrent lesions of the upper and lower airways during the 2nd visit received a zero score (no symptoms) significantly less frequently than children with pathology of the upper respiratory tract with 62.6% of cases versus 72.2% of observations, respectively (p<0.05). As a result of the use of the course of «Alpicol» medication, a statistically significant decrease in the severity of the catarrhal symptom complex was achieved, since the proportion of the course of disease, assessed by the maximum number of scores, decreased by 29.6 times, moderate (score 2) — 13.3 times, and zero scores appeared 5.7 times more often. At the same time, the proportion of patients with a mild course of catarrh practically did not change. Conclusions. «Alpicol» has a multi;vector efficacy against the complex of symptoms that accompany infectious and inflammatory exacerbations of recurrent respiratory diseases. This is manifested by a decrease in the severity of clinical manifestations of the disease, as well as in an increase in cases of clinical stabilization of the patient's condition, which demonstrates the therapeutic and prophylactic effect of the drug «Alpicol» on the course of recurrent respiratory diseases in children. The study was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was adopted by the Local Ethics Committee of all institutions indicated in this research. The informed consent of parents and children was obtained. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Key words: ecurrent respiratory diseases, treatment and prevention, children, phytocomplexes.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many researchers have considered paediatric patients to be less vulnerable to the virus. Our study is devoted to the analysis of the dynamics of morbidity, clinical course, and treatment of children hospitalised with coronavirus disease. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to conduct a retrospective analysis of cases of coronavirus infection in children during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: Two hundred and sixty-three clinical cases of COVID-19 in hospitalised children of Chernivtsi region (Ukraine) for the period from March 2020 to March 2021 were analysed. The peculiarities of the clinical course, symptoms, and treatment of children in the early and later periods of the pandemic were assessed. Results: It was found that the most common complaint was general weakness due to infectious-inflammatory, intoxication, and catarrhal syndromes. At the same time, over the course of the pandemic, the complaints and signs of intoxication and asthenic syndromes, infectious-inflammatory syndromes, and nonspecific neurological symptoms increased, while the rate of respiratory tract damage remained relatively stable, and in the 1st quarter of 2021, there was a significant increase in multisystem inflammatory syndrome and community-acquired pneumonia (odds ratio, OR = 2.7). Conclusions: The clinical course of COVID-19 in children showed phenotypic deviations during the 1st year of the pandemic, with a tendency for an increased incidence of severe forms of the disease, resistant to the prescribed treatment.

Введение. Рекуррентные инфекции дыхательных путей (РИДП) в детской популяции являются одной из наиболее распространенных причин обращений к педиатру и госпитализации. Использование при их лечении современных фитотерапевтических комплексов обеспечивает многовекторность эффекта, позволяет избежать полипрагмазии и нерационального использования антибиотиков. Цель. Изучение влияния диетической добавки на растительной основе Альпикол на течение и прогноз эпизодов рекуррентных респираторных заболеваний у детей в возрасте от 3 до 12 лет, которые нуждались в стационарном лечении. Материалы и методы. Исследование проводилось по утвержденному протоколу при наличии информированного согласия родителей на двух клинических базах: Национальная детская специализированная больница «ОХМАТДЕТ» (г. Киев) и Черновицкая областная детская больница (г. Черновцы). Под нашим наблюдением находилось 100 пациентов с РИДП в возрасте от 3 до 12 лет. В основной группе было 70 пациентов, которые в составе комплексного лечения получали диетическую добавку на растительной основе Альпикол, в контрольной группе - 30 детей, получавших базовую терапию. Результаты. Исследователи двух клинических центров независимо друг от друга пришли к выводу, что применение диетической добавки на растительной основе Альпикол в комплексном лечении пациентов от 3 до 12 лет с РИДП способствует уменьшению местных и общих проявлений РИДП за более короткое время, а также уменьшению рецидивов заболевания по сравнению с контрольной группой. Заключение. Полученные результаты свидетельствуют об эффективности фитокомплекса Альпикол в лечении и профилактике острых респираторных эпизодов у детей в возрасте от 3 до 12 лет с рекуррентными инфекционно-воспалительными заболеваниями респираторного тракта, что позволяет рекомендовать его к широкому применению в практическом здравоохранении. Introduction. Recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTI) in the pediatric population are one of the most common causes of pediatric visits and hospitalizations. The use of modern phytotherapeutic complexes in their treatment provides a multi-vector effect, allows avoiding polypharmacy and irrational use of antibiotics. Purpose. To study the effect of the plant-based dietary supplement Alpikol on the course and prognosis of episodes of recurrent respiratory diseases in children aged 3 to 12 years who needed inpatient treatment. Materials and methods. The study was carried out according to the approved protocol and informed consent of the parents at two clinical sites: the National Children’s Specialized Hospital "OKHMATDET" (Kyiv) and the Chernivtsi Regional Children’s Hospital (Chernivtsi). We observed 100 patients with RRTI aged from 3 to 12 years. In the main group, there were 70 patients; as part of the complex treatment they received a plant-based dietary supplement Alpikol, in the control group - 30 children who received basic therapy. Results. Researchers at two clinical centers independently came to the conclusion that the use of the plant-based dietary supplement Alpicol in the complex treatment of children with RRTI in children aged 3 to 12 years helps to reduce local and general manifestations of RRTI in a shorter time, as well as to reduce relapses if compared to the control group. Conclusion. Thus, the obtained results indicate the effectiveness of the phytocomplex Alpikol in the treatment and prevention of acute respiratory episodes in children aged 3 to 12 years with recurrent infectious and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, which makes it possible to recommend it for widespread use in practical health care.