Acute Lower Respiratory Infection Profile in Children at Tertiary Hospital Bandung: Is There a Difference Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic?

Abstract

This study aims to analyze differences of the prevalence and characteristics of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in children at tertiary hospital before and during COVID-19 pandemic. This was an observational analytic study with cross-sectional design involving pediatric patients based on the time of the study which was in 1 year-prepandemic (A) and 1 year-pandemic period (B). For period A inpatient data were retrieved from medical records and period B used pediatric ALRI registry. The ALRI characteristics were analyzed with significance if P < .05. Prevalence in periods A and B were 5.8% (534/9252) and 4.9% (409/8283), respectively. The characteristics of ALRI for clinical, comorbidities, laboratory findings (NLR, TLC), and chest radiograph showed significant differences ( P < .05). ALRI as manifestation of confirmed COVID-19 were identified in 16 (4.9%) cases. Prevalence of ALRI in children during COVID-19 pandemic is lower compared to before. There are differences in the characteristics of ALRI in pediatrics.

Trend in the admissions of patients with non-COVID-19 respiratory symptoms during COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on hospital finances in Surabaya, Indonesia

“…The results of our study are the same as those at other AMC hospitals in Indonesia [ 41 ], which show no change in mortality in respiratory cases unrelated to COVID -19 in child patients. Other [ 44 ] equal to the result in our research, there is a decrease in the number of deaths due to respiratory disorders unrelated to COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic, like asthma, COPD, pneumonia, acute bronchitis, seasonal influenza, and pneumococcal infections invasive.…”

“…However, the ECIEN-2020 study [ 26 ] demonstrated that LOS in hospitals (7.5 days in 2019 vs 5.2 days in 2020) in child patients with unrelated COVID-19 respiratory distress was relatively the same as before the COVID-19 pandemic. We report the same results as the study in an academic medical centre hospital in Indonesia [ 41 ], which shows an increase in aLOS in child patients with non-COVID-19 respiratory problems 19 during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…Previous literature has also discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the literature does not have estimates of the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic “effect size” on clinical and financial outcomes in a structural model [ 9 , 30 , 41 , 45 , 56 , 60 , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [68] , [69] , [70] , [71] , [72] , [73] , [74] , [75] , [76] , [77] , [78] , [79] , [80] , [81] , [82] ]. Previous publications have also not provided information on the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic, patient condition, cost risk, and clinical and financial outcomes, as well as the effect of the season as a confounder in two structural models, the child model and the adult model.…”