Post-COVID syndrome in children and adolescents: a literature review and clinical case

Abstract

Post-COVID-19 syndrome is an important challenge for modern medicine, requiring the involvement of different health professionals. This multidisciplinary approach is underpinned by the variety of clinical manifestations and the need for comprehensive rehabilitation of patients, including children and adolescents. The review highlights clinical manifestations of post-COVID-19 syndrome. Currently, a symptom management approach has been established for improving post-COVID-19 conditions. Also, appropriate lifestyle changes, such as adequate rest and sleep hygiene, may be useful. Rehabilitation interventions for post-COVID-19 syndrome may include physiotherapy exercises and various psychotherapy techniques. Since mitochondrial dysfunction, energy supply deficit, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and immune dysregulation profoundly impact the pathogenesis of post-COVID-19 syndrome, the use of L-carnitine which plays a crucial role in energy production, is considered as a promising method in the management of such patients. L-carnitine may have cardioprotective, anabolic and neuroprotective effects. The authors present a case report of post-COVID-19 condition in their own patient, a 4-year-old boy who survived multisystem inflammatory syndrome. As a result of combination therapy, including L-carnitine, the patient’s sense of well-being significantly improved: he had no complaints, the muscle weakness and asthenization became less pronounced, and his spirits rose. The described clinical case illustrated the effectiveness of using L-carnitine in the combined therapy of post-COVID-19 syndrome in children KEYWORDS: COVID-19, post-COVID syndrome, multisystem inflammatory syndrome, L-carnitine, children, rehabilitation, asthenization, anxiety disorder FOR CITATION: Balykova L.A., Shirmankina M.V., Vladimirov D.O. et al. Post-COVID syndrome in children and adolescents: a literature review and clinical case. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2022;5(4):366–372 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2022- 5-4-366-372.