MULTIMODAL APPROACH TO DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY OF PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS OF PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Introduction. Pneumonia and its complications are one of the leading causes of death in children worldwide. According to the WHO in 2017, 808,694 children under the age of 5 died of pneumonia, accounting for 15% of all deaths of children under the age of 5 worldwide. Materials and methods. The object of the study was 154 children with pulmonary and pleural complications of pneumonia in the age aspect from 3 months to 18 years, who were examined and treated at the clinic of the Tashkent Pediatric Medical Institute for the period from 2014 to 2019. A comprehensive examination of children was carried out at the TashPMI clinic. Digital radiography was the main and primary radiation method of investigation for suspected pulmonary complications of pneumonia in children. In case of destructive pneumonia, the zones of infiltration of the lung tissue (“darkening”) with a decrease in its airiness were determined on X-ray images. It was obligatory to perform radiographs in two projections – direct and lateral. Results and Discussion. We have identified radiation signs of pulmonary complications in children. Pulmonary complications accounted for 92 children, of whom 75 (57.0%) were diagnosed with pulmonary destruction and 17 (43.0%) with lung abscess. Destructive changes in lung tissue were found in young children, mainly up to 3 years of age. Conclusion. Thus, the results of our study showed that the use of high-tech methods of radiation examination significantly increases the accuracy of diagnosing lung lesions with complications of pneumonia at different stages of examination and treatment of patients.