Acute Respiratory Infections In Underfives : Experience At Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project Hospital. Ballabgarh

Abstract

Research Question: What are the symptoms and signs with which under-fives with acute respiratory infections are admitted to a rural hospital? Objectives: i) To analyse the symptoms, signs and diagnosis of Acute Respiratory Infections in under-fives. ii) To compare the experience with WHO guidelines. Design: Retrospective analysis of under-five patients admitted with ARI. Setting: Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project Hospital, Ballabgarh. Participants; Under-fives admitted with ARI. Outcome: Signs, symptoms, diagnosis of ARI. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive analysis of findings. Results: 73.6% admitted were males, 63.2% were infants. The most commonly complained symptoms at the time of admission were fever (69.6%), Cough (63.2%), breathlessness (61.6%) inability to feed (19.2) and diarrhoea (19.2%). 76.0% had crepitations, 26.4% had chest in drawing, 23.2% had ronchi, and 14.4%had respiratory distress. Only 33.3% had respiratory rate more than 60 per minute among children less than 2 months old, 56.9% had respiratory rate more than 50 per minute among children 2-12 month old. 54.3% had respiratory rate more than 40 per minute among 12 months to 5 years of age. 76% had pneumonias. The case fatality rate (CFR) was 12.8% and most of the deaths occurred within 24 hours of arrival. The C.F.R was more in females and among young infants. Conclusion: Fever should be included in the lead symptoms of ARI along with cough and breathlessness. There is a need for looking at Respiratory rate for recognition of Pneumonias.