title: [Risk factors for home deaths due to pneumonia among low socioeconomic level Chilean children, Santiago de Chile (1994)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pneumonia is the main cause of late infant mortality in Chile. Over 60% of these deaths occur at home. The lack of hospital beds and the inadequate outpatient management are contributing factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess risk factors for home deaths due to pneumonia in Chilean children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical and environmental histories of 53 (39 male) children that died due to pneumonia in their homes were analyzed. The cause of death was confirmed by necropsy with histopathological studies in all cases. These cases were compared with 88 control children of similar age, gender, socioeconomic status and living in the same geographical area of Metropolitan Santiago.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty four percent of deceased children were of less than 3 months of age and only 3 cases and their controls were above 1 year old. Identified risk factors for death were malnutrition with an odds ratio of 30.6 (CI 3.9-64.8, p < 0.001), low birth weight with an odds ratio of 5 (CI 1.8-14.1, p < 0.001), previous admissions to hospitals with an odds ratio of 5.79 (CI 2-17.1, p < 0.001), congenital malformations (mainly cardiac) with an odds ratio of 8.4 (CI 2-39.9, p = 0.001) and a history of bronchial obstruction with an odds ratio of 5.68 (p < 0.001). Identified maternal risk factors were smoking with an odds ratio of 4.13 (CI 1.6-10.7 p < 0.001) and being a teenager with an odds ratio of 4.3 (CI 1.7-11, p < 0.001). Malnutrition, low birth weight, history of previous hospital admissions and having a teenager or smoker mother were considered as independent risk factors using a stepwise analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chilean low income children have identifiable risk factors for death at their homes due to pneumonia, that can be preventively managed.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Neumologá Pediátrica, Hospital Sotero del Río, Puente Alto. crecenme@entelchile.net
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Véjar
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Casterán
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Navarrete
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: LeCerf
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castillo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors