Correlation Between Laboratory Findings and Clinical Diagnosis of Viral Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in Children

Objective: To evaluate the correlation between laboratory investigations and clinical diagnosis of upper viral respiratory tract infection in children. Methodology: This prospective observational study was done at the Paediatric department of Combined Military Hospital, Bahawalnagar, from 1st Jan 2023 to 30th June 2023. Children aged 6 months to12 years, without signs of respiratory distress and children with fever, flu, cough and sore throat and clinically diagnosed as viral infection of either gender, were enrolled. A comprehensive clinical examination of all participating children was done. Following the clinical assessment, a 5ml blood sample was collected from each case and promptly sent to the hospital diagnostic laboratory to undergo thorough analysis, focusing on Hb, TLC, neutrophils, lymphocytes and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Subsequently, the collected data underwent statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: The mean age of the participants was 5.13+2.93 years. Boys were 62% while girls were 38%. Average body temperature was 99.670°F. Mean total Leukocyte Count (TLC) was 9.47. The mean Lymphocyte count was 54.22 and mean Neutrophil count was 37.57. Throat inflammation was in 9.0% cases, tonsil enlargement was in 6.5%, while tonsil inflammation was relatively less prevalent. Average of lymphocytes was higher in patients with throat inflammation and tonsils inflammation. Although HB, TLC and Neutrophils average were statistically insignificant according to clinical findings, (p->0.05). Frequency of raised C reactive protein was statistically insignificant according to clinical findings (p=>0.05). Conclusion: Study collectively highlights that the lymphocyte counts appear to have a discernible correlation with certain clinical features. However, CRP levels might not be a reliable indicator for discriminating specific clinical presentations in the context of upper respiratory tract infections and may require more consideration.