Bacterial pneumonias in infancy and childhood

Summary

Two hundred and fifty children with clinical and radiological diagnosis of pneumonias were studied. Fifty nine per cent of pneumonias were seen in children below the age of one year. Male to female ratio was 3∶2. The commonest radiological types of pneumonias were bronchopneumonia in 42.4 per cent, lobar consolidation in 39.2 per cent and staphylococcal pneumonia in 18.4 per cent. The main symptoms were fever (94%), breathlessness (76%) and cough (70%). Lobar consolidation and staphylococcal pneumonias were seen on the right side with an incidence of 64.3% and 60.9%. In lobar pneumonia, the right upper lobe was commonly affected (38.7%) followed by the left lower lobe (18.3%). Pathogenic organisms were grown from the throat in 38% of patients and from the blood in 50 per cent of patients. It is suggested that in India staphylococcal pneumonia can be a likely aetiological possibility in two out of three infants below the age of one year, irrespective of radiological findings, and thus the need for proper antibiotic therapy.