ACUTE RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS (ARIS);

CLINICO-EPIDEMIOLOCAL PROFILE IN CHILDREN OF LESS THAN FIVE YEARS OF AGE

Abstract

Objective: To determine the epidemiological and clinical profile of patients
suffering from acute respiratory tract infections in our area. Study design: Descriptive study,
Setting: Frontier Medical & Dental College, Abbottabad, Pakistan. Period: July to December,
2014. Materials and methods: All those children who were less than five years of age and
clinically diagnosed with acute respiratory tract infections were included in the study. Whereas
children who were more than five years of age, or suffering from chronic respiratory illnesses,
or having congenital disease of respiratory tract were excluded from the study. Structured
proforma was used to record demographic and clinical data. World health organization’s criteria
were used to categorize the cases of ARIs. Results: A total of 229 patients were included in
the study. There were 109 male patients while 120 female patients with male to female ratio
of 1:1.18. Maximum number of patients, 43%, was in the age group of 13-24 months followed
by 31% in age group of 1-12 months and 15% in the age group of 25-36 months. The majority
of patients presented with shortness of breath as their main symptom followed by sore throat
and cough. About 97% of our patients sought treatment from trained health care professional
while only 03% resort to self-medication. Conclusion: Acute respiratory tract infections are
an important group of diseases in children of less than five years of age. These infections
mostly affect children between 1-2 years of age. The predominant symptom is shortness of
breath followed by sore throat and cough. Therefore, any child presenting with these symptoms
should be carefully evaluated for ARIs and their severity using World Health Organization’s
criteria. Early diagnosis and treatment will, in turn, improve prognosis and reduce burden on
health care facilities.