Risk factors for severe acute respiratory infection[ARI] in the first 5 years of life

The present work is a case control study comparing pneumonia and severe pneumonia cases, according to the WHO classification, with non-severe cases of ARI, i.e. acute upper respiratory infection and bronchitis as a control. The study was performed in the out-patient clinic and inpatient department of Bab El-Sha'reya University Hospital. In the outpatient clinic, a systematic random sample was collected from infants and children aged 0-5 years, suffering from ARl according to their presentation i.e. cough or difficult breathing these include 10 cases and 205 control. Cases of pneumonia and severe pneumonia 143 cases were collected from inpatient department. The results showed that the young age [< 6 months], wasting [ 2], visiting a private physician, and combined risk factors, were all risk factors for severe ARI. The highest sensitivity was house hold cigarette smoking [68%], while wasting and young mothers [< 20y], were associated with high specificity [99%]. Attention must be paid to any patient with ARI, having any of the risk factors