[A descriptive study of community-acquired pneumonia in childhood. A primary care perspective].
OBJECTIVE



OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of child pneumonia in our health district.


OBJECTIVE
to establish its clinical and epidemiological characteristics, to establish the percentage resolution of the illness within primary care (PC), to describe the treatments given, and to compare admission rates according to whether the first consultation was in PC or hospital casualty.


METHODS
A retrospective, longitudinal, descriptive study.


METHODS
Primary care.


METHODS
63 episodes diagnosed between 30-8-96 and 1-9-97 in 1604 children under 15.


METHODS
Statistical measurements included: 95% confidence intervals, the ji squared test, Fisher's exact test.


RESULTS
Incidence was 3.9% (CI: 3-4.9%); female predominance, 53.3% (CI: 40.7-66%); seasonal predominance, autumn-winter 64.5% (CI: 52.6-76.4%). The most common signs were: high temperature, 93.3% (CI: 87-99.6%); cough, 66.1% (CI: 54-78.2%). 90.5% (CI: 83.2-97.7%) of pneumonia cases treated in PC evolved satisfactorily. 9.5% (CI: 2.3-16.8%) needed hospital admission. Patients who attended hospital on their own initiative went into hospital more often than those who attended the PC paediatrics clinic as their first option (p = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of pneumonia among children is lower than in other countries. The majority are treated and resolved properly in PC. Analytic studies are needed to determine whether first attending a hospital casualty department instead of a PC paediatric clinic involves a greater risk of hospital admission.
Buñuel Alvarez
J C
JC
Area Básica de Salud Girona-4, Institut Català de la Salut. mrubiom@papps.org
Vila Pablos
C
C
Tresserras González
E
E
Viñas Céspedes
A
A
Gelado Ferrero
M J
MJ
Rubio Montañés
M L
ML
Besalú Costa
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
Estudio descriptivo de la neumonía adquirida en la comunidad en la edad pediátrica. Una perspectiva desde atención primaria.