Clinical and bacteriological profile of children with community acquired pneumonia admitted in pediatric ward in tertiary care hospital of central Gujarat, India

Abstract

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality of under-five children in developing countries, including India. Based on the burden of CAP, India is among the top five countries and has over 23% of the global cases. Accurate, reliable, and rapid determination of etiology in childhood CAP is important because it would influence individual treatment decisions, antibiotic policy in the community, and also rational immunization policy at a national level. Objectives of current study were to study the clinical and bacteriological profile of children admitted with CAP and to determine sensitivity and resistance patterns to various antibiotics to these organisms.Methods: This was a prospective and observational study conducted over one year in the Paediatric ward SSG hospital Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Blood culture and Oropharyngeal swab/endotracheal swab for culture and sensitivity were collected in all study patients. Organisms isolated in blood culture and oropharyngeal/ET swab were analysed in percentage and frequency. Results: Chest retraction (88%) was the commonest sign observed in this study followed by tachypnoea (74%). In blood culture, Acinetobacter was the most common organism isolated and in oropharyngeal and ET swab culture was Klebsiella spp. Major co-morbidity contributing to mortality was severe anemia followed by severe acute malnutrition.Conclusions: Bacterial cultures of blood and oropharyngeal/ ET secretion swab culture have grown predominantly Acinetobacter and Klebsiella pneumoniae in this study. Administration of sensitive antibiotics as per the geographical bacteriological profile of community-acquired pneumonia will help to improve outcomes and prevent antibiotic resistance.