Treatment

Most children with MIS-C need to be treated in a hospital. Some need treatment in a pediatric intensive care unit. Treatment usually involves supportive care and measures to reduce inflammation in any affected vital organs to protect them from permanent damage. Treatment depends on the type and severity of symptoms and which organs and other parts of the body are affected by inflammation.

Supportive care may include:

• Fluids, if levels are too low (dehydration)
• Oxygen to help with breathing
• Blood pressure medications to normalize low blood pressure related to shock or to help with heart function
• A breathing machine (ventilator)
• Medications that reduce the risk of blood clots, such as aspirin or heparin
• In very rare cases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) using a machine that does the work of the heart and lungs
• Other types of care

Treatment to reduce swelling and inflammation may include:

• Antibiotics
• Steroid therapy
• Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a blood product made up of antibodies
• Other types of treatment, such as targeted therapies aimed at reducing high levels of proteins called cytokines, which can cause inflammation

There is no evidence that MIS-C is contagious. But there's a chance that your child could have an active infection with the COVID-19 virus or another type of contagious infection. So the hospital will use infection control measures while caring for your child.