Pneumonia taking shape of epidemic

Rawalpindi

Pneumonia that kills over 90,000 children every year in Pakistan is taking shape of an epidemic among local population as after setting in of winter, the allied hospitals in town have been receiving 80 to 120 child patients with pneumonia per day.

Data collected by ‘The News’ reveals that out of 800 to 900 child patients visiting paediatrics outpatient departments of the three teaching hospitals in town, nearly 500 to 550 are being reported with upper or lower respiratory tract infections.

Two of the three teaching hospitals including Holy Family Hospital and Benazir Bhutto Hospital that have complete paediatrics departments are admitting 50 to 60 child patients with severe pneumonia per day and the number of cases is continuously on the rise.

Soon after fall in temperature, the incidence of both the upper and the lower respiratory tract infections has increased among children and nearly 60 per cent of all cases being reported at the paediatrics departments are with upper respiratory tract infections including colds, sore throat, runny nose, cough, fever, flu and other respiratory symptoms, said Head of Paediatrics Department at Rawalpindi Medical College Professor Dr. Rai Muhammad Asghar while talking to ‘The News’.

He added that of the cases of respiratory tract infections, nearly 20 to 30 per cent are being reported with lower respiratory tract infections including mild or severe pneumonia. Majority of cases being reported with pneumonia are of infants around the age of six months, he said.

To a query, he said almost all child patients of severe pneumonia are being admitted to the paediatrics departments of BBH and HFH. The HFH has a 120 bedded ward and BBH has a 100 bedded ward though not less than 300 patients are undergoing treatment at the two hospitals. Majority of the admitted patients are with severe pneumonia, said Professor Rai.

He added after the setting in of winter, the number of child cases with complications of asthma and wheezing is also on the rise. There may be a number of causes behind spread of respiratory tract infections among local population but the most important fact is that these can be avoided through proper preventive measures, he said.

He said that parents should be made aware of the fact that pneumonia is one of the top killers of children below five years of age and its incidence should not be taken as lightly because through prevention and in time management of the cases, more than 70 per cent of the deaths caused by it can be avoided.

He explained that fast breathing and lower chest wall indrawing are the main symptoms of pneumonia that may be because of two major organisms including Bacteria Streptococcus Pneumoniae or Haemophilus Influenzae. A patient of severe pneumonia suffers from difficulty in breathing with severe respiratory distress along with central cyanosis in which colour of hands and feet particularly gets bluish, he said.

To a query, he said a patient of severe pneumonia must need admission to the hospital while simple pneumonia patients can be treated at home.

Talking of preventive measures, he said children below five years of age must be administered pneumococcal vaccine and haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine which is available under Expanded Programme on Immunization. Both the vaccines are available at the allied hospitals free of cost, said Professor Rai.

He added that to avoid upper and lower respiratory tract infections, children should be protected from cold by using proper warm clothing while infants should be breastfed at least for two years. Parents should avoid children from getting wet to avoid pneumonia and the environment of the children should be kept clean. Children and infants must be kept in rooms having proper ventilation, he said.