title: Recurrent/Persistent Pneumonia among Children in Upper Egypt.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recurrent/persistent pneumonia in children continues to be a major challenge for the pediatricians. The aim of our study was to establish the prevalence and underlying causes of recurrent/persistent pneumonia in children in Upper Egypt.
  
  
  METHODS
  Assiut University Children Hospital, Assiut, Egypt.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients, admitted for pneumonia to the hospital during 2 years, were investigated with microbiological, biochemical, immunological and radiological tests in order to establish the prevalence of recurrent/persistent pneumonia and to find out its underlying causes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  113 out of 1228 patients (9.2%) met the diagnosis of recurrent/persistent pneumonia. Identified causes were; aspiration syndrome (17.7%), pulmonary TB (14.0%), congenital heart disease (11.5%), bronchial asthma (9.7%), immune deficiency disorders (8.8%) and vitamin D deficiency rickets (7.0%). Other causes included; congenital anomalies of the respiratory tract, interstitial lung diseases, bronchiectasis, and sickle cell anemia. No predisposing factors could be identified in 15% of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Approximately 1 out of 10 children with diagnosis of pneumonia in Assiut University Children Hospital had recurrent/persistent pneumonia. The most frequent underlying cause for recurrent/persistent pneumonia was aspiration syndrome, followed by pulmonary TB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Sherif A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Kotb A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Metwalley
keywords: Recurrent/persistent pneumonia; aspiration; asthma; immune deficiency; pulmonary TB