Rapidly Progressing Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in a Pediatric Patient With COVID-19

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus that is known to have a predilection for complications associated with the respiratory system. Although COVID-19 has a wide spectrum of manifestations, the pathophysiology of severe illness remains poorly understood but is thought to be associated with fulminant cytokine release. While severe complications secondary to COVID-19 in the pediatric population are considered rare, they do happen. Children with and without comorbidities have required intensive care unit admissions for respiratory distress and, more notably, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). While MIS-C is associated with hematologic complications, such as thrombocytopenia and coagulopathies, it is not associated with blood hemolysis. In this report, we describe a case of a 23-month-old previously healthy female, who presented with lethargy and positive COVID-19 PCR status. This case illustrates the rapid and fatal sequela caused by autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) from COVID-19. It stresses the importance of thorough workup and management of AIHA secondary to COVID-19 illness. Currently, there is limited understanding of AIHA from COVID-19 illness in children. Our aim is to describe this rare complication of COVID-19 illness in pediatric patients and discuss the best practices to manage it.

Direct antiglobulin test type, red blood cell distribution width, and estimated glomerular filtration rate for early prediction of in-hospital mortality of patients with COVID-19

“…In our cohort, 36 cases met the criteria with an estimated mortality risk ≥ 0.149, ACCI > 5, and COVID-19 severity of severe or critical. Excluding one death case without glucocorticoid use, a comparison of 19 survival cases to 16 deaths revealed earlier glucocorticoid initiation in the survival group (P = 0.035), suggesting that early intervention may reduce mortality in critically ill patients, which is supported by other literatures [24] , [25] , [26] .…”

Disease-modifying therapies and hematological disorders: a systematic review of case reports and case series

“…AIHA is an acquired autoimmune disorder that develops when autoantibodies develop against self-antigens on the red blood cells, which leads to their destruction. The diagnosis is based on the presence of certain symptoms and laboratory findings including anemia, jaundice, splenomegaly, reticulocytosis, raised serum bilirubin, and a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT), which detects the presence of antibodies or complement on the red blood cell (RBC) surface ( 110 ).…”