Acute lower respiratory tract infections in children admitted to Port Moresby General Hospital

The clinical pattern of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) in children admitted to Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) was studied. Most patients (60%) were less than twelve months of age. Common symptoms were cough, fever and shortness of breath. Common signs were crepitations, chest recession, elevated temperature and tachypnoea. Concurrent illness was common, with evidence of malnutrition in 62% patients. Most patients were anaemic (haemoglobin less than 10g per dl). Blood cultures isolated pathogens in 13% of patients in which it was done, the most common isolate being Haemophilus influenzae. Chest radiograph showed most patients had multisegmental changes, with the lower lobes commonly involved. Of the 129 patients, discharges accounted for 106 (82%), while 15 (12%) absconded and eight (6%) died. Of those 121 discharged or absconding, 15 (12%) were readmitted within three months of departure. Sixty-six (51%) patients stayed in hospital for four days or less. Of the eight patients who died, six (75%) were malnourished, six (75%) were less than eighteen months of age, seven (87.5%) were sick for one week or less before admission, five (62.5%) had received antibiotics before admission and chest radiograph showed more lung zones affected than in those not dying. Of the eight patients who died, six had white cell counts (WCC) performed and none of these was more than 30,000.