Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 25, 2026 2 hours, 7 minutes ago
Medical News: Subtle warning signs hidden in routine blood tests may help doctors rapidly tell the difference between dangerous multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and ordinary COVID-19, according to new research that could change pediatric emergency care.
Routine blood tests may help doctors quickly distinguish MIS-C from COVID-19 in children, improving early
diagnosis and care.
Understanding a Confusing Pediatric Condition
Since the start of the pandemic, doctors have struggled to quickly distinguish between COVID-19 in children and MIS-C, a rare but potentially life-threatening inflammatory condition that appears weeks after coronavirus infection. MIS-C can affect the heart, blood vessels, and multiple organs, and early treatment is critical. Yet many early symptoms overlap with common viral illness, making diagnosis difficult in busy hospitals.
This
Medical News report highlights findings from a detailed study involving children admitted with either COVID-19 or MIS-C, aiming to identify simple laboratory clues that could guide faster decisions.
Where the Research Was Conducted
The study was carried out by researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy and the Research Center in the Medico-Pharmaceutical Field at “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania, in collaboration with “Sf. Ioan” Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children in Galati and the Marie Sklodowska Curie Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children in Bucharest.
How the Study Was Done
Researchers analyzed medical records of 144 children, including 36 diagnosed with MIS-C and 108 with COVID-19. All patients underwent routine blood tests already available in most hospitals. The team focused on inflammation markers, white blood cell patterns, and basic electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. Advanced statistical techniques and machine learning models were used to see which markers consistently separated MIS-C from COVID-19.
Key Blood Markers That Made the Difference
Children with MIS-C showed a striking pattern of intense inflammation. Levels of C-reactive protein, a common marker of inflammation, were far higher than in children with COVID-19. Two simple ratios derived from blood counts, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, were also significantly elevated, reflecting an immune system in overdrive.
In addition, children with MIS-C tended to have lower lymphocyte counts and subtle but consistent disturbances in electrolytes, particularly potassium. These changes were not random. When combined, they formed a biological signature that reliably distinguished MIS-C from COVID-19.
Predictive Models Show Strong Accuracy
When researchers combined five routine markers—C-reactive protein, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, sodium, and potassium—comput
er models correctly identified MIS-C with very high accuracy. One model achieved a diagnostic performance level close to 95 percent, suggesting that even without specialized immune tests, doctors could flag high-risk children early.
Why This Matters for Parents and Doctors
MIS-C often requires longer hospital stays and intensive care, and delays in diagnosis can worsen outcomes. The study shows that commonly available blood tests, interpreted together rather than individually, may allow faster triage and earlier treatment, especially in emergency settings where advanced testing is unavailable.
Conclusions
The findings strongly suggest that MIS-C is not simply a severe form of pediatric COVID-19 but a distinct inflammatory condition with its own recognizable blood test pattern. By using a small panel of routine laboratory markers, clinicians may be able to identify MIS-C earlier, reduce diagnostic uncertainty, and improve outcomes for affected children. While further studies are needed to confirm these results across different populations, the research offers a promising step toward simpler and faster diagnosis in real-world pediatric care.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Biomedicines.
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/14/2/258
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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