LA DETRESSE RESPIRATOIRE CHEZ LENFANT

The objective of this study was to examine the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of respiratory distress in children, identify the responsible pathologies, and describe the therapeutic management. This retrospective study analyzed medical records of children aged between 1 month and 14 years admitted for respiratory distress over a one-year period, with a sex ratio (M/F) of 1.4. Dyspnea was the primary symptom (100%), cough was present in 57% of cases, feeding difficulties in 18%, and influenza-like illness in 15%. Pneumonia was the leading cause of pulmonary respiratory distress in our study, accounting for 35.5% of cases, while congenital heart defects were the most common extrapulmonary cause (16% of cases). The outcome was favorable in 76.5% of patients. Death was noted in 21% of cases. Respiratory distress is a true emergency that requires a thorough clinical assessment to quickly detect signs of severity necessitating urgent, symptomatic, and etiological management.