Epidemiological Heikh, Clinical, Radiological and Evolutionary Profile of Lower Respiratory Infections in the Pediatric Department of the Cheikh Ahmadoul Khadim National Hospital Center in Touba, Senegal

Introduction: Lower respiratory infections (LRIs) in children include infectious diseases of the lung parenchyma, bronchi, and trachea. They represent a major public health problem, associated with high hospitalization and mortality rates, particularly in developing countries. In Senegal, there is little recent hospital data in rural areas; hence, the objectives of our study were to measure the frequency of IRB and to describe their epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and evolutionary characteristics of IRB in children hospitalized in the Pediatric Department of the Cheikh Ahmadoul Khadim National Hospital Center in Touba. Methodology: This was a descriptive retrospective study of children aged 2 months to 15 years hospitalized for a lower respiratory infection in the Pediatric Department of the Cheikh Ahmadoul Khadim National Hospital Center in Touba, over a period of 8 months between September 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023. Included were hospitalized patients who presented with a lower respiratory infection whose file was usable. Results: Among these admissions, IRBs represented 12.4%, mainly affecting children under 6 years old (81.25%). A marked predominance of the male sex was observed, with a sex ratio of 1.46. During the cooler period in Touba, specifically between January and March, 55.3% of hospitalizations for lower respiratory infections were recorded among the cases studied. The predominant clinical presentations were pneumonia (47.92%), superinfected asthma attacks (12.5%) and bronchiolitis (11.45%). The majority of patients had a favorable outcome, with a relatively low mortality rate of 4.2%, of which three cases were also associated with severe malnutrition. Frequently observed complications included sepsis (8.3%, including eight cases diagnosed with pleuropulmonary staphylococcal disease) and acute respiratory failure syndrome (7.29%). Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of careful monitoring of IRBs in hospitalized children, as well as the need for specific management strategies to minimize the risk of severe complications.