Presentation, complications and management outcome of community acquired pneumonia in hospitalized children in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Background: Pneumonia remains a leading cause of U-5 morbidity and mortality in developing countries like Nigeria. This study was conducted to determine the clinical presentation, complications and factors contributing to mortality in the hospitalized children with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Methods: Children younger than 14 years admitted into the Emergency Paediatric Unit of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri, in 2011 with the diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia were followed up until discharge or death. Chest radiographs were read by radiologists. Results: Eighty nine children aged two months to 14 years were studied. The commonest clinical features were fever, cough, tachypnoea and dyspnoea. Radiographic evidence of pneumonia was found in 84 (94.4%) of cases. Dehydration and congestive cardiac failure (CCF) were the commonest complications encountered. Eight (9.0%) children died, seven of whom had complications of pneumonia. The rate of occurrence of complications, radiographic pattern of pneumonia and outcome of treatment did not significantly differ statistically in the different age groups; p = 0.135, 0.622 and 0.167 respectively. Conclusion: While dehydration and CCF were found to be commonest complications, mortality was commoner among the male infants hospitalized for pneumonia.