Severe pneumonia acquired in the community in a Pediatric Therapy Service

Abstract

Introduction: pneumonia is an inflammatory process of the lung parenchyma with an important prevalence in childhood, especially in the first years of life, radiologically recognizable and expressed in a varied clinic.

Objectives: to characterize the severe pneumonia acquired in the community in the Therapy Service at the Pediatric Hospital of San Miguel del Padrón in the period from January to December 2015.

Material and method: cross-sectional descriptive observational study in the service, Hospital and period mentioned above. The universe consisted of 52 patients, between 29 days and 13 years, with a diagnosis of severe pneumonia acquired in the community according to international consensus and that consented to the parents or guardians to participate in the research.

Results: there was a clear predominance of male patients (63.5%) and 85.5% of the study population is younger than 5 years. Fever and high respiratory manifestations were the most common symptoms because they were present in 88.5% and 78.8% of the patients respectively.

Throwing prevailed, especially in children under 1 year, the polypnea was found in 29 of the children.

Right pneumonia predominated and pleural effusion was the most frequent complication. 78.8% of the patients were treated with Cefotaxime.

Conclusions: during the study period, severe pneumonia constituted a significant part of the income in intensive care, affecting mainly children under 5 years of age.