Abstract

RUBAL WONG, Alina; JOA MESA, Teresa  and  DAGER HABER, Amarilis. Clinical epidemiological changes due to bacterial pneumonia in a pediatric intensive care unit. MEDISAN [online]. 2011, vol.15, n.2, pp. 170-176. ISSN 1029-3019.

Introduction: Currently, acute respiratory diseases are one of main causes of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years of age in developing countries, including pneumonias that are responsible for 80 and 90 % of deaths. Objective: To characterize infants and children hospitalized due to bacterial pneumonia according clinical epidemiological variates. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out in 68 patients with bacterial pneumonia, who were admitted to the Pediatric Care Intensive Unit of "Dr Juan de la Cruz Martínez Maceira" Northern Children Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, from January to December 2005. Results: Of those affected, 58, 8% were under 4 of age and 73,5 % were male. Those diagnosed with pneumonia and respiratory failure (that constituted the complication leading to admission) prevailed in the case material. Negative-coagulase staphylococcus was the most isolated organism. Conclusions: Pneumonias continue being a health problem in childhood with predominance in ages under four.

Keywords : child; acute respiratory infections; bacterial pneumonia; negative-coagulase staphylococcus; Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

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