Abstract

OLIVA GONZALEZ, Yamilka; PILOTO MOREJON, Manuel  and  IGLESIAS GOMEZ, Paulina. Clinics and Epidemiology of acute respiratory infections in patients from 0 to 14 years old. Rev Ciencias Médicas [online]. 2013, vol.17, n.1, pp.49-62. ISSN 1561-3194.

Introduction: acute upper and low respiratory tract infections constitute a complex of various illnesses that group clinical entities having a great diversity of epidemiological and underlying agents, which difficult the processes of prevention and control. Objective: to carry out a clinical-epidemiological study of acute respiratory infections in patients from 0 to 14 years old. Material and method: an observational, analytical of case-control research in four type-1 doctor’s offices belonging to “Raul Sanchez” outpatient clinic in Pinar del Rio municipality during February 2010-October 2011. The target group involved the patients attending to the doctor’s offices, assigning to the study-group (cases) those suffering from acute respiratory tract infections from 0-14 years old (n=272) and per each patient who comprised the study-group one of the same ages not including the disease was subsequently chosen (control group). Results: upper respiratory infections were the most frequent (88,2%) and among them common flu; the most affected ages were from 5-14 (63,2%), and the most repeated symptoms: nasal secretions (56,3%), fever (48,8%) and cough (40%); the most important risk factors: not exclusive breast feeding (OR=4,6) and <normal weight (OR=2,9); the most significant environmental risk factors: humidity, contact of patients with other people suffering from acute respiratory infections and dust (OR=14,1  11,9 y 2,0 respectively) and the prevalent social factors were: poor breathing space conditions and overcrowding in houses (OR=4,3 and 3,8). Conclusions: there are multiple causes and risk factors of Acute Respiratory Infections in our environment, most of them modifiable if Preventive Medicine Guidelines are effectively applied.

Keywords : Respiratory tract diseases [complications]; Asthma [diagnosis]; Pneumonia [diagnosis]; Pharyngitis.

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