Pneumonia in Sagamu

ABSTRACT

A study of 154 cases of pneumonia in infancy and childhood at the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital is presented. The condition accounted for 3.9 percent of all paediatric admissions. A majority (81.2 percent) of the patients were aged three years and under; while the male to female ratio was 1.11. A seasonal variation in the prevalence of pneumonia was found with two peaks in February and November. Brochopneumonia was the commoner type of pneumonia; occurring in 83.1 percent of the cases. Patients with lobar pneumonia were significantly older and had a higher mean temperature on admission and a longer period of hospitalization than patients with bronchopneumonia. The commonest associated conditions that were identified included upper respiratory tract infection in 39 percent; measles in 24.7 percent and protein-energy malnutrition in 7.1 percent of the cases