• Kristin Atlas, Jessica Strohm Farber, Kerry Shields, and Ruth Lebet.
• Kristin Atlas is a clinical nurse specialist in the infant transitional care unit, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and a clinical instructor for the undergraduate BSN program, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Crit Care Nurse. 2022 Feb 1; 42 (1): 13-22.

BackgroundMultisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a new syndrome that has been hypothesized to be connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. Children are presenting-likely after SARS-CoV-2 infection or exposure-with vague symptoms including fever, gastrointestinal distress, and/or rash.ObjectiveTo review what is currently known about multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, including physiology, signs and symptoms, laboratory and imaging findings, treatment options, and nursing considerations in critical care settings.MethodsThis integrative review was conducted using the keywords multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, Kawasaki-like syndrome, COVID, COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-2. Initially, 324 articles were found. All were screened, and 34 were included. Eight articles were added after hand-searching and weekly literature searches were conducted.Data SynthesisMultisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a newly identified syndrome, thus information on diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes is available but evolving. Many aspects of nursing care are important to consider with regard to this illness, including COVID precautions, physical assessments, medication administration, and timing of blood sampling for laboratory testing as well as other standard intensive care unit considerations. Providing anticipatory guidance and support to patients and their families is also important.ConclusionCritical care nurses must remain informed about advances in the care of patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, as these patients are often seen in critical care environments because of their high risk of cardiovascular failure.©2021 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

8 keywords...

hide…