Recurrent Pneumonia in children: A Single Centre Experience in Malaysia.

Abstract

<b>Introduction:</b> Finding an underlying cause of recurrent pneumonia (RP) in children is a challenge to clinicians. Despite availability of immunization program across the globe, RP occurs in 7.7-9% of all children with pneumonia. <b>Objectives:</b> To identify the characteristics of children with recurrent pneumonia <b>Methods:</b> A retrospective review of medical records of children under 12 years of age, admitted&nbsp;for pneumonia, between 1st April 2019 through 31st March 2020, at Hospital Tunku Azizah Kuala Lumpur. RP was defined as at least 2 episodes of pneumonia in 1 year or 3 episodes separated by an asymptomatic period of a month or clear chest x-rays. <b>Results:</b> A total of 753 children hospitalised with pneumonia were identified and RP was found in 399 of them (52.9%). The median age of a first pneumonia was 9 months (0-birth, 132) while a median age of RP diagnosis was at 19 months old (144).&nbsp;About 64% was in the age group of 1 to 5 years old and 55% of these were male. Fifteen percent was born premature with a median birth weight of 2.9 kg (0.78, 5.06).&nbsp;Comorbidities were found in almost 60% of&nbsp;children with RP namely&nbsp;cardiac(10.1%), neurological disease (5.3%), dysmorphism(5.5%), asthma(12.3%) and atopy(10.3%). Amongst them, recurrent wheeze in a child (52.6%), with or without the pre-diagnosis of asthma was most significant. 96% of these children with RP had updated immunisation but only 16% had pneumococcal vaccine and 6% had Influenza vaccine. <b>Conclusion:</b> RP is not uncommon, particularly among children less than 5 years&nbsp;of age and in those with comorbidities. <b>Reference:</b> Owayed AF, Campbell DM, Wang EEL. Underlying Causes of Recurrent Pneumonia in Children.&nbsp;Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.&nbsp;2000;154(2):190–194.