Skip Navigation
Skip to contents

JYMS : Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science

Indexed in: ESCI, Scopus, PubMed,
PubMed Central, CAS, DOAJ, KCI
FREE article processing charge
OPEN ACCESS
SEARCH
Search

Articles

Page Path
HOME > J Yeungnam Med Sci > Volume 34(2); 2017 > Article
Original Article Clinical characteristics of acute lower respiratory tract infections according to respiratory viruses in hospitalized children without underlying disease during the last 3 years
Min Hae Seo, Hyung Young Kim, Tae Min Um, Hye Young Kim, Hee Ju Park
Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science 2017;34(2):182-190
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2017.34.2.182
Published online: December 31, 2017
1Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea. phj7294@hanmail.net
2Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.
  • 2,290 Views
  • 28 Download
  • 0 Crossref
  • 0 Scopus

BACKGROUND
Respiratory viruses play a significant role in the etiology of acute respiratory infections and exacerbation of chronic respiratory illnesses. This study was conducted to identify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children with acute viral lower respiratory infections. METHODS: This study investigated 1,168 children diagnosed with acute viral lower respiratory tract infections (RTIs) between January 2012 and December 2014. Specimens of respiratory viruses were collected using a nasopharyngeal swab and analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and analyzed the clinical features of children hospitalized for acute lower respiratory infections. RESULTS: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of infection in children aged <5 years, was the most commonly detected pathogen in children with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and resulted in high proportions of children requiring oxygen treatment and intensive care unit admission. Rhinovirus was preceded by RSV as the second most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and was detected most frequently in the children aged ≥6 years. In addition, asthma was predominantly caused by rhinovirus in children aged ≥6 years, whereas croup was mostly caused by parainfluenza virus in those aged <5 years. Rhinovirus infection (p < 0.001) and history of asthma (p=0.049) were identified as significant risk factors for readmission within a month. CONCLUSION: We identified the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of respiratory viruses in children with acute lower respiratory infections during the last 3 years. Our findings may provide useful clinical insight to comprehend the acute viral lower RTIs in children.

Related articles

JYMS : Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science