Authors (including presenting author) :
Tam WSC(1), Leung SY(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Kwong Wah Hospital
Introduction :
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the prevalence of pneumonia in children. The concerning increase in pneumonia cases among children, alongside a shift in the seasonal peak and a rise in the incidence of co-infections has the potential negative effect on the child’s wellbeing and the burden on healthcare resources. Understanding the of trends of seasonal patterns and pathogen prevalence is essential for effective healthcare planning and resource allocation.
Objectives :
(1)to analyze the hospitalization rates, seasonal patterns, and pathogen prevalence in peadiatric pneumonia cases during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2)to evaluate the implications for healthcare resource planning and management of future respiratory infection waves.
Methodology :
(1)It is a retrospective case report study. It involves the collection and analysis of historical data from patient records in Clinical Management System (CMS). (2)All children aged 2 to 17 years, who admitted to Kwong Wah Hospital Paediatric ward between 01/01/2022 to 31/12/2023, had a diagnosis of pneumonia (International Classification of Diseases Ninth Edition - Clinical Modification, ICD-9-CM 480-487).(3)Data about gender, age, primary diagnosis, isolated pathogens, utilisation of High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy, use of antibiotics, length of hospital stay and need of PICU admission will be retrieved.
Result & Outcome :
(1)Hospitalization rates for pneumonia in children showed a significant increase, rising from 29 cases in 2022 to 524 cases in 2023.(2)The seasonal peak for pneumonia shifted to an earlier time in summer 2023. Summer: 3.4% (1/29) in 2022 vs 31.1% (163/524) in 2023; Autumn: 44.8% (13/29) vs 36.8% (193/524) (P= 0.001).(3)The proportion of patients with two or more pathogens detected increased sharply from 6.9% (2/29) in 2022 to 26.5% (139/524) in 2023 (P = 0.004). In 2023, an alarming 92.6% (26/27) of pneumonia cases requiring PICU care involved multiple pathogens, compared to 71.43% (5/7) in 2022 (P =0.038).(4)Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that, only 2 factors, higher PRAM score(Score=8-12)(OR 50.3, 95%CI 6.5-390.5)and SpO2<95% (OR 7.2,95%CI 2.5-21.3)were associated with increased odds of PICU admission.
