Incidence and Risk Factors for Prolonged Stay in Children Hospitalised with Pneumonia

Abstract

Introduction: Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) is one of the common causes of morbidity and mortality in children and is responsible for hospitalisation. Aim: The current descriptive epidemiological study aimed to analyse the risk factors for the prolonged hospital stay in children suffering from LRTIs. Materials and Methods: From August 2016 to July 2017, a total of 245 patients admitted for LRTI in the Department of Paediatrics, KIMS was included in the current investigation. Current diagnosis, demographic profile and length of hospital stay were examined and data were analysed using GRAPHPAD-PRISM software version 7.0. Results: All the 245 children were identified with LRTI. Gender wise distribution showed 173 (70.6%) males and 72 (29.4%) females. The mean hospital stays for female patients (6.15 days) were higher than males (7.07 days) (p10 years of age. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment options should be made for this age group of children to prevent prolonged hospitalisation.

Keywords

• lower respiratory tract infection
• morbidity
• paediatric patients