Portrait of outpatient visits and hospitalizations for acute infections in Nunavik preschool children.
OBJECTIVE
Inuit children from around the world are burdened by a high rate of infectious diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence rate of infections in Inuit preschool children from Nunavik (Northern Québec).


METHODS
The medical chart of 354 children from a previously recruited cohort was reviewed for the first five years of life. All outpatient visits that led to a diagnosis of acute infection and all admissions for acute infections were recorded.


RESULTS
Rates of outpatient visits for acute otitis media (AOM) were 2314, 2300, and 732 events/1000 child-years for children 0-11 months, 12-23 months, and 2-4 years, respectively. Rates of outpatient visits for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) were 1385, 930, and 328 events/1000 child-years, respectively. Rates of hospitalization for pneumonia were 198, 119, and 31 events/1000 child-years, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Inuit children from Nunavik have high rates of AOM and LRTI. Such rates were higher than that of other non-native North-American populations previously published. Admission for LRTI is up to 10 times more frequent in Nunavik compared to other Canadian populations.
Dallaire
Frédéric
F
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, and Public Health Research Unit, CHUQ-Laval University Medical Center, Quebec, Canada.
Dewailly
Eric
E
Vézina
Carole
C
Bruneau
Suzanne
S
Ayotte
Pierre
P
D017677:Age Distribution; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology