- D3.525 - One- year hospital readmission after pediatric COVID- 19 hospitalization: a single- center cohort study

Beyond the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, subsequent hospitalization has become a commonly used marker of ongoing disease burden. In pediatric populations, evidence regarding longer-term return to hospital care and evolving respiratory or digestive manifestations remains limited.

We conducted a retrospective single-center cohort study including children hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between January 2022 and December 2025. Information on patient demographics, length of stay, clinical presentation, and hospital readmission within one year was obtained from the hospital electronic information system (Infoworld®). SARS-CoV-2 reinfection was defined as a new positive test occurring at least 90 days after index hospitalization.

Among 3,372 pediatric SARS-CoV-2 tests, 632 (18.7%) were positive, and 211 children (33.4%) required hospitalization. Thirty-eight patients (18.0%) experienced at least one subsequent hospitalization within one year. At index hospitalization among readmitted patients, exclusive respiratory involvement was observed in 39.5%, exclusive digestive involvement in 23.7%, and combined respiratory–digestive involvement in 36.8%. During follow-up admissions, combined respiratory–digestive pathology predominated, with a higher frequency of multisystem involvement. Documented SARS-CoV-2 reinfection was uncommon, occurring in only six patients (2.8%).

Within one year after discharge, approximately one in five children previously hospitalized for COVID-19 required a subsequent hospitalization. Follow-up admissions most often involved both respiratory and digestive manifestations. These findings indicate that a relevant clinical burden may persist beyond the early post-discharge period and underscore the importance of longer follow-up in pediatric patients.