STATUS OF HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL IN PENUMONIA PATIENT UNDER 5 YEARS

Abstract

Background:  pneumonia is rated as one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality, chiefly in the developing world. Patients in these groups have haemoglobin levels that can be influenced by inflammation, nutritional deficiency or other disease, thus their recovery. The learning objectives of this research include determining haemoglobin status among pneumonic children.

Objectives: To measure plasma haemoglobin concentration in children with pneumonia and less than five years, evaluate the relationship between anaemia and disease severity and to describe the influence of the severity of the condition on the prognosis of pneumonia, including duration of illness, hospital stay and death.

Study design: A Prospective Observational Study.

Place and duration of study. Department of Peads children A ward Khyber Teaching Hospital from jan 2022 to march 2022

Methods: This prospective study enrolled 50 under-five children with pneumonia diagnosis. The haemoglobin levels in the patients were noted at the time of admission, and these results were correlated with other clinical indices, such as severity of pneumonia. The data was gathered through clinical assessment, laboratory investigations, and cultures/endoscopy swabs. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software for statistical analysis with set statistical level of significance at p<0.05 to compare haemoglobin levels and different severities of pneumonia as well as recovery outcomes.

Results: were mean aged 2.8 years (SD = 1.3) at the time of the study and 50 of these patients participated in the current study. Regarding haemoglobin concentrations: The mean value for the group was 9.2 g/dL (standard deviation = 1.5 g/dL). Significantly lower haemoglobin levels predicted a higher severity level of pneumonia, the correlation being – 0. 62, p = 0. 02. Hospital stay of children was significantly longer for children with Haemoglobin levels below 8 g/dL, 5.7 days as compared to 3.2 days of children having Haemoglobin greater than or equal to 8 g/dL (p = 0.03). Absolute anaemia, which was the anaemia with the highest prevalence, was found to double the complication rates such as hypoxia and respiratory distress.

Conclusion: Pneumonia severity and length of stay were significantly higher in children under 5 with lower haemoglobin levels. More awareness of pneumonia and its signs in children may help officials diagnose and treat anaemia in children with pneumonia promptly. The results of the present study underscore a need for recommending haemoglobin levels when working on patients with paediatric pneumonia.