Causes and treatment of pneumonia in children in Damascus Hospital

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Childhood community-acquired pneumonia is an acute infection of the lung parenchyma in a child caused by pathogens acquired outside a hospital, i.e. in the community. It is an important cause of morbidity in developed countries and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 2 million children under 5 years of age die from pneumonia each year worldwide; The majority of these deaths occur in developing countries, so our study was to increase understanding of the causes and management of pneumonia, in particular in a sample of children in Damascus Hospital in Syria. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on a random sample of the files of children admitted to Damascus Hospital Ambulance as an initial diagnosis of pneumonia, in the period between 10/2/2022 and 3/15/2023. The sample included 128 children, ages 28 days and older up to school age. Results: The study included 128 children, 80 (63%) males, and 48 (38%) females. The children were divided into three categories: infants 74 (58%), children 42 (33%), and school age 12 (9%). The percentage of children who contracted bacterial pneumonia on an asthma basis was (65%). The highest complaint rate was “dyspnea” at 118 (92%), followed by “cough” at 110 (86%), then “fever” at 88 (69%). The antibiotics used in the management of pneumonia were third-generation cephalosporins 94 (58%), followed by macrolides 66 (41%). The largest percentage had a temperature of “less than 38.5” 88 (69%). In listening, “soft purring spread throughout the two areas” was found at 70 (42%), and “massive wheezing” at 30 (18%) was the most common. As for CRP, “0-20” was 62 (48%) for the largest percentage. Hemoglobin on admission was “more than 10” in 82 (64%) patients. The average respiratory movements per minute for most children “more than 40” was 118 (92%). Conclusion: The results of our study were consistent with the results of previous studies on common causes of pneumonia, symptoms, and results of investigations conducted in children during the period of active disease.