Epidemiological Evaluation of Lower Respiratory Infections in Admitted Children in a Public Hospital in Southeastern Brazil

Background: Respiratory infections are among the most common causes of mortality in children throughout the world. Pneumonias are responsible for 20% of causes of mortality in children below five years of age. Bronquiolitis is the most common infection of the inferior respiratory tract and main cause of hospitalization in infants throughout the world, especially due to syncytial respiratory virus.

Objective: To identify and compare the prevalence of pediatric hospitalizations due to inferior respiratory tract infections, through the analysis of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of admitted patients from March 20^th, 2017 through September 21^st, 2018.

Methods: Retrospective, transversal and descriptive study of the pediatric hospitalizations in the period of March 20^th, 2017 to September 21^st, 2018 due to pneumonia and bronquiolitis in a public hospital in the Serrana region of Rio de Janeiro.

Results: 495 hospitalizations due to respiratory causes were evaluated, totalizing 30,3% of the total of 1.632 general hospitalizations. The majority occurred in patients younger than 1 year old. The most prevalent diagnosis was pneumonia, 67%, followed by bronquiolitis, 19,5%, and the existence of both, 13,5%. Males were the most affected with 63%. There were more hospitalizations in the fall of 2018. 4,4% of patients were in the intensive care unit due to these respiratory infections and 8,4% were readmissions.

Conclusion: There was an increase in the number of hospitalizations for respiratory infections in the fall and winter periods. It is empirical that the means of prevention of lower respiratory infections be improved in order to reduce the number of cases observed.