All issues > Volume 48(3); 2005

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2005;48(3):266-275. Published online March 15, 2005.

Epidemiology and Clincal Analysis of Acute Viral Respiratory Tract Infections in Children(September, 1998-May, 2003)

Su-Jin SJ Lee¹, Eon-Woo EW Shin¹, Eun-Young EY Park¹, Phil-Soo PS Oh¹, Kwang-Nam KN Kim¹, Hae-Sun HS Yoon¹, Kyu-Man KM Lee²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Kwang-Nam KN Kim ,Email: kwangnamkim@empal.com

Abstract

Purpose
: Acute respiratory tract infections are the most common illnesses in children. The great majority of these infections involving lower respiratory tracts infections(LRTIs) are caused by respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus(RSV), parainfluenza virus(PIV), influenza virus (Flu), and adenovirus(ADV), etc. Our purpose was to determine seasonal epidemiology and clinical characteristic features of each viral infection.
Methods
: Nasopharyngeal aspirate(NPA)s were collected from 4,554 hospitalized children diagnosed as LRTIs on the first day of admission. The study period was from September 1998(Autumn) through May 2003(Spring). Respiratory viruses were detected in 881(19 percent) cases by isolation of the virus or by antigen detection method using indirect immunofluorescent staining. We reviewed the medical records of 837 cases retrospectively.
Results
: The identified pathogens were RSV in 485 cases(55 percent), PIV in 152 cases(17 percent), FluA in 114 cases(13 percent), ADV in 79 cases(9 percent) and FluB in 51 cases(6 percent). Outbreaks of RSV occurred every year, mostly in the November through December period and of PIV in the April through June period. LRTIs by FluA reached the highest level in January, 2002. FluB infection showed an outbreak in April, 2002. The clinical diagnoses of viral LRTIs were bronchiolitis in 395 cases(47 percent), pneumonia in 305 cases(36 percent), croup in 73 cases(9 percent) and tracheobronchitis in 64 cases(8 percent).
Conclusion
: Viruses are one of the major etiologic agents of acute LRTIs in chidren. Therefore, we must continue to study their seasonal occurrence and clinical features to focus on management, and also for reasons of prevention.

Keywords :Respiratory tract infection , Respiratory syncytial virus , Parainfluenza virus , Influenza virus , Adenovirus , Children