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. 1991 Jun;145(6):618-22.
doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1991.02160060036016.

The causes of hospital-treated acute lower respiratory tract infection in children

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The causes of hospital-treated acute lower respiratory tract infection in children

H Nohynek et al. Am J Dis Child. 1991 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the etiologic agents in children with acute lower respiratory infection.

Design: A survey of a series of patients.

Setting: General pediatric hospital serving an urban population with and without referrals in Helsinki, Finland.

Participants: 135 Finnish children aged 2 months to 15 years (mean, 1.75 years), with clinically defined acute lower respiratory infection (with difficulty of breathing), or found to have fever and a pneumonic infiltrate on chest roentgenogram.

Selection procedures: Consecutive sample on voluntary basis.

Interventions: None.

Main results: Of 121 children with adequate samples, an etiologic diagnosis could be established in 84 (70%): 30 (25%) had bacterial, 30 (25%) viral, and 24 (20%) mixed infections. Antibody assays alone identified the agent in 91% of positive cases.

Conclusions: Bacterial infections are common but generally underestimated in acute lower respiratory infection; serologic methods add significantly to their detection.

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