Risk factors of severity of pneumonia in pediatric patients in Sophisai Hospital, Buengkan Province.

Abstract

      This study was a retrospective analytical study aimed to investigate general factors affecting pneumonia severity in pediatric patients, examine clinical factors and pneumonia severity in pediatric patients, and evaluate treatment factors affecting pneumonia severity in pediatric patients at Sophisai Hospital, Buengkan Province. The sample consisted of 72 pediatric patients aged 1 month to 15 years diagnosed with pneumonia, divided into mild-moderate severity group (36 patients) and severe group (36 patients). Research instruments included case record forms covering demographic data, clinical information, laboratory investigations, and treatment outcomes. Statistics used included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, odds ratio, chi-square test, and multivariable logistic regression analysis.

     Study results revealed eight risk factors significantly associated with pneumonia severity in univariate analysis: underlying diseases (OR = 6.82, 95%CI: 2.78-16.67, p<0.001), household smoking exposure (OR = 5.20, 95%CI: 2.15-12.58, p<0.001), rainy season illness (OR = 3.33, 95%CI: 1.35-8.22, p=0.009), time from symptom onset to medical consultation (OR = 4.00, 95%CI: 1.64-9.75, p=0.002), elevated WBC count (OR = 6.50, 95%CI: 1.32-32.00, p=0.021), high neutrophil percentage (OR = 4.44, 95%CI: 1.56-12.67, p=0.005), low lymphocyte percentage (OR = 5.60, 95%CI: 1.72-18.19, p=0.004), and infiltration severity on chest X-ray (OR = 5.25, 95%CI: 1.89-14.58, p=0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified three independent risk factors: underlying diseases (Adjusted OR = 4.85, 95%CI: 1.58-14.89, p=0.006), household smoking exposure (Adjusted OR = 3.42, 95%CI: 1.12-10.45, p=0.031), and infiltration severity (Adjusted OR = 3.67, 95%CI: 1.15-11.71, p=0.028). The model achieved 81.90% accuracy in predicting disease severity.