BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections are the most common cause of death in children in developing countries. Little information is available on risk factors for mortality among African children presenting with symptoms compatible with acute respiratory infections. OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for death among children hospitalized for respiratory complaints who satisfy the WHO clinical definition for pneumonia or severe pneumonia. METHODS: Children <5 years of age who presented with cough and/or difficult breathing and were hospitalized in Bangui during a 1-year period were investigated for risk factors for mortality. The study population consisted of 395 children who satisfied the WHO clinical definition for pneumonia/severe pneumonia. The associations between death and demographic, nutritional, socioeconomic, laboratory and clinical variables were examined. RESULTS: Of the 49 (12.4%) children who died, all but one had had indrawing of the chest which, in univariate analysis, was the risk factor most strongly associated with death [odds ratio, 22.99; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.81 to 935.2]. In a multivariate model the independent risk factors for death were indrawing of the chest [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 8.35, CI 1.04 to 66.82], hepatomegaly (AOR 6.72, CI 2.35 to 19.21), age between 2 and 11 months (AOR 6.37, CI 2.18 to 18.59), grunting (AOR 4.53, CI 1.96 to 10.45), a moderate/severe alteration of general status (AOR 3.23, CI 1.17 to 8.94) and acute malnutrition (AOR 2.74, CI 0.96 to 7.78). CONCLUSIONS: These findings could be used in flow charts for the management of children with respiratory complaints to identify children at increased risk of death who need to receive aggressive therapy.
BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections are the most common cause of death in children in developing countries. Little information is available on risk factors for mortality among African children presenting with symptoms compatible with acute respiratory infections. OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for death among children hospitalized for respiratory complaints who satisfy the WHO clinical definition for pneumonia or severe pneumonia. METHODS:Children <5 years of age who presented with cough and/or difficult breathing and were hospitalized in Bangui during a 1-year period were investigated for risk factors for mortality. The study population consisted of 395 children who satisfied the WHO clinical definition for pneumonia/severe pneumonia. The associations between death and demographic, nutritional, socioeconomic, laboratory and clinical variables were examined. RESULTS: Of the 49 (12.4%) children who died, all but one had had indrawing of the chest which, in univariate analysis, was the risk factor most strongly associated with death [odds ratio, 22.99; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.81 to 935.2]. In a multivariate model the independent risk factors for death were indrawing of the chest [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 8.35, CI 1.04 to 66.82], hepatomegaly (AOR 6.72, CI 2.35 to 19.21), age between 2 and 11 months (AOR 6.37, CI 2.18 to 18.59), grunting (AOR 4.53, CI 1.96 to 10.45), a moderate/severe alteration of general status (AOR 3.23, CI 1.17 to 8.94) and acute malnutrition (AOR 2.74, CI 0.96 to 7.78). CONCLUSIONS: These findings could be used in flow charts for the management of children with respiratory complaints to identify children at increased risk of death who need to receive aggressive therapy.
Authors: John S Bradley; Carrie L Byington; Samir S Shah; Brian Alverson; Edward R Carter; Christopher Harrison; Sheldon L Kaplan; Sharon E Mace; George H McCracken; Matthew R Moore; Shawn D St Peter; Jana A Stockwell; Jack T Swanson Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2011-08-31 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: Marzia Lazzerini; Nadine Seward; Norman Lufesi; Rosina Banda; Sophie Sinyeka; Gibson Masache; Bejoy Nambiar; Charles Makwenda; Anthony Costello; Eric D McCollum; Tim Colbourn Journal: Lancet Glob Health Date: 2016-01 Impact factor: 26.763
Authors: Moses Laman; Susan Aipit; Cathy Bona; Jimmy Aipit; Timothy M E Davis; Laurens Manning Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Date: 2019-04 Impact factor: 2.345
Authors: R Barari Sawadkohi; I Mohammadzade; A Mohammadpour-Mir; M Poor Nasrollah; M Valipour; F Hosseinzadeh; F Saeedi Journal: Iran Red Crescent Med J Date: 2012-10-30 Impact factor: 0.611