Severe Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Early Infancy and
Pneumonia Hospitalizations among Children,Kenya |
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| Authors: | Patrick Kiio Munywoki Eric O. Ohuma Mwanajuma Ngama Evasius Bauni J. Anthony G. Scott D. James Nokes |
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| Affiliation: | Author affiliations: KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme Centre for Geographic Medicine Research–Coast, Kilifi, Kenya (P.K. Munywoki, E.O. Ohuma, M. Ngama, E. Bauni, J.A.G. Scott, D.J. Nokes); ;University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (E.O. Ohuma, J.A.G. Scott); ;University of Warwick, Coventry, UK (D.J. Nokes) |
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| Abstract: | Severe lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants caused by respiratorysyncytial virus (RSV) has been associated with later pneumonia hospitalizationamong children. To determine risk for pneumonia after RSV hospitalization ininfancy, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 2,813 infants admittedto a hospital in Kenya and identified readmissions for pneumonia among thisgroup during early childhood (<60 months of age).Incidence of readmission for pneumonia was higher for children whose firstadmission as infants was for LRTI and who were <3months of age than for children who were first admitted as infants for non-LRTI,irrespective of RSV status. Incidence of readmission for pneumonia with wheezewas higher for children whose first admission involved RSV compared with thosewho had non-RSV LRTI. Excess pneumonia risk persisted for 2 years after theinitial hospitalization. Close postdischarge follow-up of infants with LRTI,with or without RSV, could help prevent severe pneumonia later in childhood. |
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| Keywords: | respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract infection pneumonia infancy childhood wheeze postdischarge respiratory infections hospitalization viruses Kenya |
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