ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Risk factors for respiratory infections in a group of pediatric patients
 
More details
Hide details
1
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Universitatea Dunarea de Jos, Galati, ROMANIA
 
2
Sf. Ioan Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children, Galati, ROMANIA
 
 
Online publication date: 2024-08-10
 
 
Publication date: 2024-09-01
 
 
Electron J Gen Med 2024;21(5):em603
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Specialized studies confirm the fact that respiratory infections are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality within the pediatric population under 5 years of age. Despite the existence of countless clinical and paraclinical management protocols, the treatment and evolution of these patients are often unpredictable.

Methods:
This study took place over a period of three years, comprising a final group of 181 pediatric patients, centralizing all social, demographic, clinical, and paraclinical data obtained from the observation sheets.

Results:
This group included 181 patients with an average age of 3.33 (out of which 14.36% were aged under one year), an average weight at birth of 3,003.71 g, hospitalized at the Sf. Ioan Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children in Galati for an average number of days equal to 8.72. Most of them come from urban areas (62.43%) and the incidence of examinations reached its peak during the winter months (37.56%). Low incidences of anti-pneumococcal vaccinations (3.9%) or other additional vaccines (0.6%) were detected.

Conclusions:
In conclusion, this descriptive statistical analysis has demonstrated that there is a number of complex interactions involving both emotional, psychological, and individual factors that can influence the therapeutic decision-making process for these pediatric patients.

REFERENCES (29)
1.
Almannaei L, Alsaadoon E, AlbinAli S, Taha M, Lambert I. A retrospective study examining the clinical significance of testing respiratory panels in children who presented to a tertiary hospital in 2019. Access Microbiol. 2022;4(3):000332. https://doi.org/10.1099/acmi.0... PMid:35693466 PMCid:PMC9175981.
 
2.
The UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. Levels & trends in child mortality: Report 2014. New York, NY: UNICEF; 2014.
 
3.
WHO, UNICEF. Ending preventable child deaths from pneumonia and diarrhoea by 2025: The integrated global action plan for pneumonia and diarrhoea (GAPPD). WHO; 2013.
 
4.
Ujunwa F, Ezeonu C. Risk factors for acute respiratory tract infections in under-five children in Enugu Southeast Nigeria. Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2014;4(1):95-9. https://doi.org/10.4103/2141-9... PMid:24669339 PMCid:PMC3952306.
 
5.
Accinelli RA, Leon-Abarca JA, Gozal D. Ecological study on solid fuel use and pneumonia in young children: A worldwide association. Respirology. 2017;22(1):149-56. https://doi.org/10.1111/resp.1... PMid:27641743.
 
6.
Roth GA, Abate D, Abate KH, et al. Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980-2017: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2017. Lancet. 2018;392(10159):1736-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-... PMid:30496103.
 
7.
Deng S, Cong B, Edgoose M, De Wit F, Nair H, Li Y. Risk factors for respiratory syncytial virus-associated acute lower respiratory infection in children under five years: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Infect Dis. 2024;107125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid... PMid:38945430.
 
8.
Swets MC, Niessen A, Buddingh EP, et al. Use of proxy indicators for automated surveillance of severe acute respiratory infection, the Netherlands, 2017 to 2023: A proof-of-concept study. Euro Surveill. 2024;29(27):2300657. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7... PMid:38967016 PMCid:PMC11225262.
 
9.
Liu Q, Deng J, Yan W, et al. Burden and trends of infectious disease mortality attributed to air pollution, unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene, and non-optimal temperature globally and in different socio-demographic index regions. Glob Health Res Policy. 2024;9(1):23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41256... PMid:38937833 PMCid:PMC11212388.
 
10.
Voloshyn OM, Marushko YV, Hyshchak TV, Savchenko II. A comprehensive analysis of anthropometric indicators in preschool children suffering from recurrent respiratory infections. Wiad Lek. 2024;77(4):724-31. https://doi.org/10.36740/WLek2... PMid:38865629.
 
11.
Cardoso AM, Coimbra CE Jr, Werneck GL. Risk factors for hospital admission due to acute lower respiratory tract infection in Guarani indigenous children in southern Brazil: A population-based case-control study. Tropical Med Int Health. 2013;18(5):596-607. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.12... PMid:23489343.
 
12.
Seidu A-A, Ameyaw EK, Ahinkorah BO, et al. Ecological zone and symptoms of acute respiratory infection among children under five in Ghana: 1993-2014. SSM Popul Health. 2019;8:100414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmp... PMid:31206003 PMCid:PMC6558297.
 
13.
Al-Sharbatti SS, Aljumaa LI. Infant feeding patterns and risk of acute respiratory infections in Baghdad/Iraq. Ital J Public Health. 2012;9(3). https://doi.org/10.2427/7534.
 
14.
Matu M. Risk factors and cost of illness for acute respiratory infections in children under five years of age attending selected health facilities in Nakuru County, Kenya [PhD thesis]. Juja, Kenya: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology; 2015. https://doi.org/10.15406/jmen.....
 
15.
Dadi AF, Kebede Y, Birhanu Z. Determinants of pneumonia in children aged two months to five years in urban areas of Oromia zone, Amhara region. Ethiopia Open Access Lib J. 2014;1(08):1-10. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.....
 
16.
Kumar SG, Majumdar A, Kumar V, et al. Prevalence of acute respiratory infection among under-five children in urban and rural areas of puducherry, India. J Nat Sci Biol Med. 2015;6(1):3-6. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-9... PMid:25810626 PMCid:PMC4367064.
 
17.
Prajapati B, Talsania N, Lala M, Sonalia K. A study of risk factors of acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) of under five age group in urban and rural communities of Ahmedabad District. Gujarat Healthline. 2012;3(1):16-20. https://doi.org/10.5455/ijmsph....
 
18.
Fienemika A, Ojule I, Best O. Prevalence of acute respiratory infections among children under-five years old in a hospital in Port Harcourt, Nigeria: A two year follow-up study. J Respir Med. 2018;2(1):1-6.
 
19.
Gessner BD, Shindo N, Briand S. Seasonal influenza epidemiology in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review. Lancet Infect Dis. 2011;11(3):223-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-... PMid:21371656.
 
20.
Hart CA, Cuevas LE. Acute respiratory infections in children. Rev Bras Saúde Mater Infant. 2007;7(1):23-9. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1519-....
 
21.
Jackson S, Mathews KH, Pulanic D, et al. Risk factors for severe acute lower respiratory infections in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Croat Med J. 2013; 54(2):110-21. https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.20... PMid:23630139 PMCid:PMC3641871.
 
22.
Kilabuko J, Nakai S. Effects of cooking fuels on acute respiratory infections in children in Tanzania. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2007;4(4):283-8. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph... PMid:18180538 PMCid:PMC3732398.
 
23.
Sharma D, Kuppusamy K, Bhoorasamy A. Prevalence of acute respiratory infections (ari) and their determinants in under five children in urban and rural areas of Kancheepuram district, South India. Ann Trop Med Public Health. 2013;6(5):3752-6. https://doi.org/10.4103/1755-6....
 
24.
Alemayehu M, Alemu K, Sharma HR, Gizaw Z, Shibru A. Household fuel use and acute respiratory infections in children under five years of age in Gondar City of Ethiopia. J Environ Earth Sci. 2014;4(7):77-85.
 
25.
Sanbata H, Asfaw A, Kumie A. Association of biomass fuel use with acute respiratory infections among under-five children in a slum urban of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC Public Health. 2014;14(1):1122. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2... PMid:25358245 PMCid:PMC4237768.
 
26.
Savitha A, Gopalakrishnan S. Determinants of acute respiratory infections among under five children in a rural area of Tamil Nadu, India. J Fam Med Prim Care. 2018; 7(6):1268-73. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.... PMid:30613509 PMCid:PMC6293935.
 
27.
Tazinya AA, Halle-Ekane GE, Mbuagbaw LT, et al. Risk factors for acute respiratory infections in children under five years attending the Bamenda Regional Hospital in Cameroon. BMC Pulmon Med. 2018;18(1):7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890... PMid:29338717 PMCid:PMC5771025.
 
28.
Solomon O, Odu O, Amu E, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of acute respiratory infection among under fives in rural communities of Ekiti state Nigeria. Global J Med Public Health. 2018;7(1):12.
 
29.
Sikolia DN, Mwololo K, Cherop H, et al. The prevalence of acute respiratory infections and the associated risk factors: A study of children under five years of age in Kibera Lindi village, Nairobi, Kenya. J Natl Inst Public Health. 2002;51:67-72.
 
eISSN:2516-3507
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top