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Case report
COVID-19 pneumonia successfully managed with high-flow nasal cannula in a 15-year-old boy
  1. GAP van Gorp1,
  2. PJLT Sanders2,
  3. DA van Waardenburg3 and
  4. Monique Engel1
  1. 1Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  2. 2Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht Universitair Medisch Centrum+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  3. 3Pediatric ICU, Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht Universitair Medisch Centrum+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to GAP van Gorp; giel.van.gorp{at}mumc.nl

Abstract

We report an otherwise healthy, fully immunised 15-year-old boy who was transferred to our Pediatric intensive care unit with 4 days of fever, dry cough, increased work of breathing and impending respiratory failure. Two days prior, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid was prescribed for lower airway symptoms resembling pneumonia. PCR of the nasopharyngeal swab revealed an active COVID-19 infection (Ct 19). The CT scan showed significant ground-glass opacities highly associated with COVID-19 (COVID-19 reporting and data system 4). Antibiotics were continued and chloroquine was given for 5 days. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) was started as respiratory support therapy with rapid decrease of tachypnoea and oxygen demand. HFNC was successfully stopped after 7 days. The patient made full clinical recovery. This case illustrates HFNC as a successful respiratory support therapy in a paediatric patient with an active COVID-19 pneumonia.

  • pneumonia (respiratory medicine)
  • paediatric intensive care

This article is made freely available for use in accordance with BMJ’s website terms and conditions for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic or until otherwise determined by BMJ. You may use, download and print the article for any lawful, non-commercial purpose (including text and data mining) provided that all copyright notices and trade marks are retained.

https://bmj.com/coronavirus/usage

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2020-239682

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors GvG and PS have written the whole case report. ME and DvW did the last checks before submitting.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer-reviewed.