Epidemiology of Community Acquired Pneumonia in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria: A Retrospective Study

Background: Pneumonia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children globally, with Nigeria contributing the largest figures to mortality. The majority of such deaths occur in children less than two years of age. Despite the disease being preventable, millions of children remain unvaccinated and do not receive essential medical care when symptomatic. Aim: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern and outcomes of paediatric patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) at an Emergency Paediatrics Unit. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective study carried out over five years, 2019-2023 among patients diagnosed and hospitalised with CAP in the Emergency Paediatrics Unit. Patients with comorbidities such as sepsis, congenital or acquired heart disease, sickle cell disease, HIV and severe acute malnutrition were excluded from the study. Results: A total of 7,652 patients were admitted to EPU during the study period of which 426 (5.6%) had CAP. The majority were males 272 (63.8%) while 230 (54%) got discharged and 34 (8%) deaths were recorded. Mortality was highest among males 20 (58.8%) and in children below the age of 1 year, 23 (67.6). The year, 2019, the rainy season and the month of July, recorded the most hospitalisations, 133 (31.2%), 271 (63.6) and 68 (16%), respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of pneumonia in this study was comparable with other local and global studies. Evidence-based prevention interventions such as vaccination, exclusive breastfeeding, adequate complementary feeds, and air pollution reduction, along with adequate funding, need to be implemented at a larger scale to reduce the pneumonia scourge and meet target goals.