Etiology of acute severe lower respiratory tract infection in hospital-based patients.
Acute respiratory infections are common childhood illnesses. Most are mild and self-limiting. Five percent are lower respiratory tract diseases and are potentially serious. A prospective study was conducted to ascertain the etiology of community-acquired severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in hospital based patients. Mycoplasma was the most frequently identified agent (33%). This was followed by viruses (28%) and bacteria (15%). Twenty-four percent of children had no identified causative agent.
Chay
O M
OM
Department of Paediatrics, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
Hiew
J
J
Tan
C K
CK
Foo
A L
AL
Lim
K W
KW
Cheng
H K
HK
D000208:Acute Disease; D000367:Age Factors; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*