Common Respiratory Infections in Children Admitted to Aboozar Children's Hospital in Ahvaz City in the First Semester 2021: Frequency, Risk Factors and Clinical Subgroups

Background and Objectives The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of respiratory infections in children admitted to Aboozar Children's Hospital in Ahvaz and the associated risk factors. Subjects and Methods A total of147 children aged 12 years and below admitted to the emergency department were selected for this case-control study, including 96 children with respiratory infections and 51 children without respiratory and/or digestive infections as a control group. Their demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded and statistically compared between the two groups. Results Pneumonia (80.2%), especially pneumonia caused by coronavirus 2019, was the most common type of respiratory infection in children. The prevalence and risk of respiratory complications were significantly higher in boys than in girls (p=0.003). The mean age of children with respiratory infections was also higher than that of the control group (p<0.05). In addition, high body mass index, underlying diseases, low birth weight, reduced or no breastfeeding, a family with many children, parental smoking and air pollution were significantly associated with the high risk of infection (p<0.05). Compared to the control group, the children with respiratory infections had lower levels of red blood cells and lymphocytes, but higher levels of neutrophils (p<0.05). Conclusion Knowledge of diagnostic markers and possible risk factors for respiratory infections in children at the beginning of admission to the ward can play a key role in timely diagnosis and treatment of patients.