Pneumonia-associated inappropriate antidiuresis syndrome in children: clinical correlations in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Objectives Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD) is a known complication of pneumonia. Diagnosis of SIAD, however, is typically challenging, particularly in resource-poor countries. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the clinical correlates of SIAD among children hospitalized for pneumonia. Patients and methods This is a descriptive cross-sectional analysis of 101 children aged 1 month to 14 years who were admitted for pneumonia. We obtained relevant information on sociodemographic, anthropometric, and clinical parameters via a semistructured study proforma and collected blood and urine samples for the requisite analysis. All relevant data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 20 (SPSS 20). Results Seventeen (16.8%) children with pneumonia had SIAD; 11 (64.7%) were males, and nine (52.9%) were infants. The most common symptoms among the participants with SIAD were cough (100.0%) and fast breathing (94.1%), while the common signs were age-related tachypnoea and recession, each 88.2%. For the symptom, the odds of SIAD were 3.50 times higher in participants with noisy breathing than those without (odds ratio=3.5, confidence interval=1.14–10.76, P =0.023). The signs that were significantly associated with SIAD were grunting and tachypnoea. The odds of SIAD were 4.6-fold higher in participants with grunting than those without, P =0.014. Participants with age-related tachypnoea had lower odds of SIAD than those without tachypnoea (odds ratio=0.15, 95% confidence interval=0.10–0.24). Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate that grunting is associated with a higher likelihood of SIAD. Hence, SIAD should be kept in mind while managing children with pneumonia and grunting.