Demographic and clinical characteristics of children admitted to the respiratory ward and intensive care unit (ICU) with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia*
| Demographics and clinical characteristics | Respiratory ward† | ICU | P value‡ | ||
| Pneumonia (n=2705) | Severe pneumonia* (n=119) | Pneumonia (n=30) | Severe pneumonia* (n=57) | ||
| Age group (months) | <0.001 | ||||
| 2–11 | 763 (28.2) | 78 (65.5) | 17 (56.7) | 38 (66.7) | |
| 12–23 | 1076 (39.8) | 28 (23.5) | 5 (16.7) | 15 (26.3) | |
| 24–59 | 866 (32.8) | 13 (10.9) | 8 (26.7) | 4 (7.0) | |
| Male | 1553 (57.4) | 63 (52.9) | 19 (63.3) | 36 (63.2) | 0.3 |
| Cough | 2541 (93.9) | 106 (89.1) | 23 (76.7) | 49 (86.0) | <0.001 |
| Runny nose | 670 (24.8) | 21 (17.6) | 4 (13.3) | 5 (8.8) | 0.001 |
| Any fever | 2205 (81.5) | 76 (63.9) | 20 (66.7) | 40 (70.2) | 0.009 |
| Chest indrawing | 203 (7.5) | 69 (58.0) | 15 (50.0) | 44 (77.2) | <0.001 |
| Grunting | 18 (0.7) | 14 (11.8) | 6 (20.0) | 7 (12.3) | <0.001 |
| Nasal flaring | 10 (0.4) | 9 (7.6) | 6 (20.2) | 8 (14.0) | <0.001 |
| Audible wheeze | 198 (7.3) | 16 (13.4) | 0 | 3 (5.3) | 0.3§ |
| Wheeze on auscultation | 195 (7.2) | 12 (10.1) | 5 (16.7) | 7 (12.3) | 0.02 |
| Crackles | 2094 (77.4) | 111 (93.3) | 24 (80.0) | 48 (84.2) | 0.5 |
| Tachypnoea | 1311 (48.5) | 97 (81.5) | 19 (63.3) | 43 (75.4) | <0.001 |
| SpO2 <90% | 10/154 (6.5) | 24/63 (38.1) | 8/15 (53.3) | 21/46 (47.5) | <0.001 |
| Medical history and social risk factors | |||||
| ARI admission last 12 months | 1053 (39.0) | 35 (29.4) | 14 (46.7) | 25 (43.9) | 0.2 |
| ARI readmission 2 weeks | 277 (30.2) | 15 (12.6) | 5 (16.7) | 12 (21.1) | 0.02 |
| Tuberculosis contact | 56 (2.1) | 6 (5.0) | 0 | 2 (3.5) | 1.0§ |
| Any breast feeding | 2508 (92.9) | 106 (89.1) | 27 (90.0) | 48 (84.2) | 0.08 |
| Pneumococcal vaccine¶ | 113 (4.2) | 4 (3.9) | 1 (3.3) | 3 (5.3) | 0.8§ |
| Daycare attendance | 1517 (56.5) | 30 (25.2) | 5 (16.7) | 8 (14.0) | <0.001 |
| Sibling ill | 510 (18.7) | 34 (28.6) | 5 (16.7) | 15 (26.3) | 0.4 |
| Cigarette smoke exposure | 1407 (52.1) | 62 (52.1) | 19 (63.3) | 33 (57.9) | 0.2 |
| Preterm (<37 weeks) | 247 (9.0) | 20 (16.8) | 3 (10.0) | 12 (21.1) | <0.001 |
| Low birth weight (<2500 g) | 188 (6.8) | 20 (16.8) | 3 (10.0) | 10 (17.5) | 0.01 |
| Outcome | |||||
| Oxygen supplementation | 74 (2.0) | 50 (42.0) | 27 (90.0) | 51 (91.1) | <0.001 |
| Hospital stay >10 days | 288 (10.4) | 20 (16.8) | 17 (56.7) | 29 (50.9) | <0.001 |
| Hospital cost** (USD) | 89.0 | 129.8 | 490.4 | 532.8 | <0.001 |
*Pneumonia severity assessment, as recorded by the admitting physician.
†Patients admitted to the respiratory ward and then transferred to the ICU were included among ‘respiratory ward’ patients in the comparative analysis.
‡Using the χ2 test to compare all patients (pneumonia and severe pneumonia combined) admitted to the respiratory department versus those admitted to the ICU.
§Using the Fisher’s exact test.
¶Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
**Including examination fee on admission, bed occupancy, investigations and procedures, drugs, oxygen supply, physical therapy and medical devices.
ARI, acute respiratory infection; SpO2, peripheral oxygen saturation.