Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, Division of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Laboratory of Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Via Bicocca Degli Arcimboldi, 8, Milan, 20126, Italy.
Center for Public Health Research, University of Milan-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza, 20900, Italy.
Ital J Pediatr. 2024 Sep 7;50(1):167. doi: 10.1186/s13052-024-01754-2.
The significant impact of acute respiratory tract infections on healthcare systems is well-documented, given their contribution to emergency department admissions, hospitalizations, and increased use of antibiotics and other medications. However, further research is needed to understand the burden of acute respiratory tract infections in pediatric community care to develop effective public health interventions and improve child health outcomes. Real-world data were retrieved from Pedianet, an Italian network of over 200 family pediatricians. Acute respiratory tract infection visits were identified and analysed using an infection-duration algorithm to extract individual cases. The number of follow-up visits per 100 cases was calculated to assess the burden on the Italian National Health Service. Comparisons were made overall and stratified by type of acute respiratory tract infections and epidemiological season. A total of 1,402,953 acute respiratory infections-related visits were recorded, with an overall rate of 12 visits per 100 cases. Upper respiratory tract infections had an average of 9 visits per 100 cases. Lower respiratory tract infections exhibited a higher burden, with 29 visits per 100 cases. Pneumonia showed a declining trend in the pre-pandemic era (62 to 48 visits) but rebounded in the post-COVID-19 years (32 to 42 visits). This study underscores the importance of monitoring and managing acute respiratory infections, especially lower respiratory tract infections, in pediatric care.
急性呼吸道感染对医疗系统的重大影响已被充分记录，因为它们会导致急诊科就诊、住院以及抗生素和其他药物的使用增加。然而，为了了解儿科社区护理中急性呼吸道感染的负担，以制定有效的公共卫生干预措施并改善儿童健康结果，还需要进一步研究。真实世界的数据来自于意大利一个由 200 多名家庭儿科医生组成的网络 Pedianet。使用感染持续时间算法识别和分析急性呼吸道感染就诊，并提取个体病例。计算每 100 例就诊的随访就诊次数，以评估意大利国家卫生服务的负担。总体比较和按急性呼吸道感染类型和流行病学季节分层比较。共记录了 1402953 例与急性呼吸道感染相关的就诊，总体就诊率为每 100 例就诊 12 次。上呼吸道感染的平均就诊率为每 100 例就诊 9 次。下呼吸道感染的负担更高，每 100 例就诊 29 次。在大流行前时代，肺炎的就诊率呈下降趋势（从 62 次降至 48 次），但在 COVID-19 后时代反弹（从 32 次增至 42 次）。本研究强调了在儿科护理中监测和管理急性呼吸道感染（尤其是下呼吸道感染）的重要性。
