[Epidemiology of community-acquired pneumonia in children aged less than 5 years old in the Autonomous Community of Valencia (Spain)].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the incidence of community acquired pneumonia in the Autonomous Community of Valencia in Spain, and describe its treatment and complications.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort comprising 654 children born in 1995 and 1996 in Valencia and followed-up during the first 5 years of life by nine pediatricians was studied. The number of cases of pneumonia, treatment, complications and interventions was recorded.


RESULTS
Ninety-nine episodes of community-acquired pneumonia in 80 children were recorded (1.24 cases/child). Fifty-one cases (51.1 %) occurred before the child's third birthday and 38 (38.4 %) occurred between the third and the fourth. Of the 99 cases, 51 were diagnosed in primary care and 46 in the emergency room. There was a mean of 2.44 visits per process in primary care (range 1-6). All the children were treated with antibiotics. The most frequently used were amoxicillin-clavulanate (43.3 %) and cefuroxime (26.3 %). Fourteen patients required a change of antibiotic. Twenty-three percent of the children were hospitalized.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of community-acquired pneumonia in Valencia was 30.3 cases/1000 children aged less than 5 years/ year (95 % CI: 18.7-46.8), and the incidence of hospitalization was 7.03 cases/1000 children aged less than 5 years/year.
Garcés-Sánchez
M D
MD
Centro de Salud de Torrent, Torrent, Valencia. España. mariagarces@ono.com
Díez-Domingo
J
J
Ballester Sanz
A
A
Peidró Boronat
C
C
García López
M
M
Antón Crespo
V
V
Peris Vidal
A
A
Baldo Poblet
J M
JM
Gallego García
D
D
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents