Clinical profile of acute lower respiratory tract infections in children aged 2-60 months: An observational study.

BACKGROUND

Assessment of risk factors and clinical profile for acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRIs) with severe and very severe pneumonia in children <5 years age is obligatory.

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical profile, risk factors, and clinical outcomes associated with ALRIs in children aged 2-60 months.

METHODOLOGY

In total, 130 children of either gender, diagnosed with ALRIs, admitted in a tertiary care hospital were enrolled. Demographic data and clinical history was collected. Clinical profile data such as respiratory and heart rate, oxygen supplementation, ventilator use, and lab investigation such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hemoglobin, total leucocyte count, differential leucocytes count, and blood culture were analyzed and noted.

RESULTS

The study findings demonstrated male gender predominance for ALRIs with 1.3:1 male to female ratio. Around 16% of them had pneumonia, 61% had severe pneumonia, and 23% had very severe pneumonia. The birth weight of child, maternal and paternal literacy, socioeconomic status, overcrowding at home, immunization status of children, type of kitchen and fuel used for cooking, malnutrition, anemia, and need for oxygen supplementation were found to be associated with the occurrence of ALRIs ( < 0.05). Most of the presented symptoms were cough (100%), breathlessness (96.92%), and fever (92.31%). Bronchiolitis (63%), bronchopneumonia (27%), and lobar pneumonia (25%) were the major clinical outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The study identified various sociodemographic, environmental, and nutritional risk factors for ALRIs along with the clinical profile, which can be managed by effective peripheral health personnel's training and persuasive community health education.