Abstract

SEHABIAGUE, Graciela; IRAOLA, Inés; ESTEVAN, Miguel  and  HORTAL, María. Neumonía comunitaria: su impacto en la demanda asistencial del Departamento de Emergencia Pediátrica. Arch. Pediatr. Urug. [online]. 2006, vol.77, n.4, pp.355-360. ISSN 1688-1249.

Summary Objectives: to determine the demand of acute respiratory tract infections in the emergency department and analyze its frequency, treatment and the need of hospitalization. Methods: a descriptive prospective study registering respiratory tract infections consults at the emergency department was realized. A retrospective review analizing previous stories of pneumonias was also done. Consecutive cases which occured in three summers and winters trimesters between 2001 and 2003 were included. Frequency according to age, sex, chest x-ray characteristics, patients origin and management either ambulatory or hospitalized were analyzed. Results: in the emergency department there are 59.812 consultations anually, 31,2% had respiratory tract infections. 85,9% were upper tract infections and 14,1% were from the lower tract. 2.053 pneumonia stories were analyzed. The medium age was 3 years old. Most patients who resided at the urban area or its surroundings (96,3%) were treated ambulatory (61%). Hospitalized patients included all patients with pleural fluid; 34% who had in the chest x-ray a consolidated image and in 24,8% who had a diffuse infiltrate. Antibiotics were administered in 87,4% of the cases. Conclusions: pneumonias and respiratory tract infections represent an important demand but the majority even with a consolidated image were treated at home. Future studies are needed in order to conclude the effectiveness of the treatment and the benefits from the pneumococcal vaccine.

Keywords : PNEUMONIA; RADIOGRAPHY, THORACIC; EMERGENCY SERVICE, HOSPITAL.

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