Successful Treatment of Pediatric COVID-19 Encephalitis Patients under Integrated Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy: Two Case Reports

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-induced encephalitis in children poses significant challenges due to neurological sequelae and mortality. We present two pediatric cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) encephalitis treated with integrated Western and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The two patients, aged 8 and 10, diagnosed with COVID-19 encephalitis, received immediate integrated care with Western and TCM upon admission to our hospital. Both patients exhibited marked clinical improvement within 4 days of integrative treatment and were discharged after 8 days. Upon discharge and follow-up visits, both patients were alert, with normal electroencephalography examinations, and exhibited normal liver and kidney function without significant adverse effects. This suggests the potential clinical benefit of integrating Western and TCM in treating COVID-19 encephalitis and suggests its potential effectiveness for other viral or bacterial encephalitis.