Clinics in Mother and Child Health

Abstract

Acute Respiratory Distress in Children: Epidemiological Profile, Diagnosis and Evolution at the Dakar Hospital

Yaay Joor Koddu Biige Dieng, Guillaye Diagne*, Abou BA, Idrissa Demba BA, Babacar Mbaye and Ousmane Ndiaye

Respiratory distress in children is one of the most frequently encountered emergencies in paediatric emergency departments. It is responsible for high morbidity and mortality. The objective of our study was to determine the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects of acute respiratory distress in children hospitalized in the paediatric ward of the Grand Yoff general hospital in Dakar. We carried out a retrospective descriptive study over a period of 2 years from 01 January 2020 to 31 December 2021. All children aged between 1 month and 15 years hospitalized in the paediatric department during the study period and presenting with respiratory difficulties, whatever the severity and cause, were included. The hospital prevalence was 17.32%; the mean age was 42.67 months. Dyspnea, fever and cough accounted for 60.39%, 50.65% and 50.00% of the reasons for hospitalization respectively. On physical examination, bronchial obstruction syndrome was found in 53.90%. In terms of aetiology, pulmonary causes accounted for 66.88%. The evolution was favourable in 89.61%. We found 7.79% of deaths among the patients.

Published Date: 2022-12-05; Received Date: 2022-11-04