Risk factors for respiratory infections in a group of pediatric patients

Abstract

<b>Introduction:</b> 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.<br /> <b>Methods: </b>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.<br /> <b>Results: </b>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.<br /> <b>Conclusions: </b>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.