title: Population-based incidence of community-acquired pneumonia hospitalization in Hong Kong children younger than 5 years before universal conjugate pneumococcal immunization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to document the incidence of pediatric hospitalization for bacterial pneumonia before universal childhood conjugate pneumococcal vaccination using two different methods of diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  By following the World Health Organization (WHO) chest radiography (CXR) protocol, two radiologists independently read the CXRs of a cohort of systematically recruited children younger than 5 years. The children had acute respiratory infections and were admitted to one of two hospitals that care for 72.5% of all pediatric admissions on Hong Kong Island. Medical records were reviewed for clinical manifestation and to identify bacterial pneumonia diagnosed by pediatricians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In children younger than 5 years, the incidences of bacterial pneumonia, as diagnosed by pediatricians and by the WHO CXR standard, were 775.7 per 100,000 population [95% confidence interval (CI, 591.8-998.3)] and 439.5 per 100,000 population (95% CI, 304.6-614.5), respectively. The study period was from 2002 to 2004.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provided a reliable baseline estimate of the hospitalization burden of pneumococcal pneumonia in Hong Kong children before the advent of universal conjugate pneumococcal vaccination.
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address: ssschiu@hkkucc.hku.hk.
authors: Susan S
authors: SS
authors: Chiu
authors: Department of Microbiology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Pak-Leung
authors: PL
authors: Ho
authors: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Pek-Lan
authors: PL
authors: Khong
authors: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Clara
authors: C
authors: Ooi
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Lok Yee
authors: LY
authors: So
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Wilfred H S
authors: WH
authors: Wong
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Eunice L Y
authors: EL
authors: Chan
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: chest X-ray; children; community-acquired pneumonia; hospitalization