FREQUENCY OF PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN PRESENTING WITH WHEEZE

Abstract

Objective:  To find out the frequency of Pneumonia in children presenting with wheeze.

Material & Method

Study Design: Descriptive case series

Study place and & Duration: Department of pediatrics Saira Memorial Hospital Lahore from 1-January-2025 to 30-June-2025.

Data Collection: After meeting selection criteria 150 patients were enrolled. All children who presented with wheezing were included. A chest X-ray was obtained for each patient and sent to the on-duty radiologist to assess for any signs of infiltration. The respiratory rate was measured over a 60-second period in calm and awake patients. All patients were diagnosed with pneumonia based on the operational definition.

Results: In this study, the mean age of the participants was 1.92 ± 1.40 years. Among the 150 patients, 91 (60.7%) were male and 59 (39.3%) were female. The mean respiratory rate was 33.36 ± 4.11 breaths per minute, the mean heart rate was 113.93 ± 10.63 beats per minute, and the average body temperature was 100.81 ± 1.25°F. Pneumonia was diagnosed in 104 (69.33%) of the patients who presented with wheezing.

Conclusion: The frequency of pneumonia is 69.33% in children presenting with wheeze in pediatric emergency. The frequency is quite high in the local population that needs quick management.