Analysis of the characteristics of community-acquired pneumonia in children and the high-risk factors leading to severe disease in China

Abstract

This was a research study, analysed the characteristics of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children and the high-risk factors causing severe disease. Three hundred and ninety CAP children accepted therapy to First Hospital of Qinhuangdao from February 2019 to January 2020 were divided into spring onset group, summer onset group, autumn onset group and winter onset group. The detection rates of streptococcus pneumonia, haemophilus influenzae and mycoplasma pneumoniae in the winter onset group were higher than the other groups, while the detection rate of moraxella mucositis in the spring onset group was higher as than the other groups. Univariate analysis and Logistics regression analysis revealed that C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and white blood cell (WBC) levels, anemia, malnutrition, previous infection history, and preterm birth were the major factors influencing the severity of symptoms in children. The major pathogenic bacteria of CAP in children were streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae, and moraxella mucositis. Mycoplasma pneumoniae showed an increasing trend in summer and autumn, and some of them were associated with bacterial infection. We conclude that CRP, PCT, WBC, anemia, malnutrition, previous infection history, and preterm birth were the major factors influencing the severity of symptoms in children.