Published online Jun 9, 2023. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v12.i3.115
Peer-review started: December 3, 2022
First decision: February 21, 2023
Revised: March 8, 2023
Accepted: March 30, 2023
Article in press: March 30, 2023
Published online: June 9, 2023
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant cause of inpatient hospitalization and mortality in children.
This is crucial for pediatricians as it would enable us to make a quick diagnosis and consequently prompt treatment in case of severe mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP).
Our study highlighted which clinical parameters should be focused on to differentiate between mild and severe MPP.
We identified children between 2 mo and 16 years of age with clinical and radiological findings consistent with CAP.
We found that the duration of fever and cough was longer in the severe MPP group than in the mild MPP group. Similarly, the high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, procalcitonin, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly higher in the severe MPP cohort than in the mild MPP group. Paradoxically, the neutrophil count was significantly higher in the mild MPP group than in the severe MPP group.
The incidence of myocardial damage was significantly higher in the severe MPP group than in mild MPP cases.
It is unknown whether there is a causal link between severe MPP and myocardial damage; therefore, to ascertain this hypothesis, future research is recommended.