Abstract

MESA HERRERA, María Elena; LAFITA GAMEZ, Yoanka  and  ALFONSO DELIS, Odalys. Ambulatory care of uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2013, vol.85, n.4, pp.476-485. ISSN 0034-7531.

Introduction: community-acquired pneumonia is a frequent illness at pediatric ages, and if uncomplicated, it can be treated with penicillin or derivatives on an ambulatory basis. Objectives: to characterize the community-acquired pneumonia according to clinical, demographic and imaging aspects, as well as the response to antibiotic therapy with outpatient follow-up in a secondary health care service. Methods: prospective, longitudinal and descriptive study of 160 children suffering uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia, who were treated with intramuscularly administered penicillin or with oral antibiotics, and followed-up as outpatients until discharge. Results: community-acquired pneumonia was more frequent in children aged one to four years, who presented with fever and cough in 100 % and rales in over 80 % of cases, respectively. Inflammatory lesions were found in basal areas of the lungs, mainly in the right lung in more than half of cases. Living with smoking persons were the most identified risk factor (62.5 %). The therapeutic response to treatment was positive in all the children, with the first treatment scheme used. Conclusions: penicillin remains the treatment of choice in children having uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia. Emphasis is made on the feasibility of outpatient follow-up in these patients.

Keywords : community-acquired pneumonia; children; penicillin; ambulatory care.

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