Pneumonia on the rise in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi: Pneumonia, the number one killer of children in Pakistan has been hitting child population in this region of the country severely as the allied hospitals in town are receiving well over 130 child patients with severe pneumonia per day on average.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Monday has revealed that out of a total 1,000 to 1100 child patients visiting paediatrics outpatient departments of the three teaching hospitals in town daily, nearly 600 to 700 are being reported with respiratory tract infections and of these, 120 to 140 are reported with severe pneumonia with the symptoms of fast breathing and lower chest wall indrawing.

Both the two of the three teaching hospitals in town, Holy Family Hospital and Benazir Bhutto Hospital that operate complete paediatrics departments have to admit 60 to 70 child patients with pneumonia per day.

It is alarming that majority of patients of pneumonia being presented to the allied hospitals are with severe pneumonia and we have to admit them and manage them with antibiotics, said Head of Paediatrics Department at the allied hospitals and Rawalpindi Medical University Professor Dr. Rai Muhammad Asghar while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday.

He added that the more alarming is the fact that majority of child patients being taken to allied hospitals with pneumonia are infants below one year of age. The incidence of both the upper and the lower respiratory tract infections is on the rise among children as nearly 60 to 70 per cent of all cases being reported at the paediatrics departments are with respiratory tract infections, he said. He added that of these patients, 10 to 20 per cent are with pneumonia.

Studies reveal that pneumonia is a condition of severe inflammation of the lung tissue that is responsible for delivering oxygen to the entire body. The infection may be caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi Mild pneumonia occurs with symptoms like cough with expectoration, fever, general body pain and weakness. If not treated in time, it progresses to moderate pneumonia that has more severe symptoms but not life threatening.

Severe pneumonia, however, is characterized by intense high grade fever with chills, difficulty in breathing on slightest exertion, laboured breathing, hemoptysis (blood in sputum), congestion of the chest, pain in the chest while breathing and cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to lack of oxygenated haemoglobin). Severe pneumonia will also cause an increased respiratory rate as there is shallow and short breathing. There is an inwards drawing of chest visible especially in thin patients (the muscles present in between the ribs are pulled inwards).

It is important that the HFH has a 120 bedded ward and BBH has a 100 bedded ward while District Headquarters Hospital is providing outpatient department services to children only. When asked, Dr. Rai said at present, over 200 child patients are undergoing treatment at BBH while over 230 in HFH.

We have to keep two to three child patients on a single bed in paediatrics departments at BBH and HFH for management, he said. He added that there is a shortage of space at the allied hospitals in paediatrics wards however all child patients of severe pneumonia are being admitted for management.

“The allied hospitals are providing treatment free of cost to all patients as we are not facing any shortage of drugs or vaccines at paediatrics departments.” He said the number of child cases with complications of asthma and wheezing is also on the rise. Pneumonia is one of the top killers of children below five years of age however through prevention and in time management of the cases, more than 70 per cent of the deaths caused by it can be avoided.

He said that parents should be made aware of the fact that a patient of severe pneumonia must need admission to the hospital. He said that to avoid pneumonia that kills over 90,000 children every year in Pakistan, parents should avoid children from getting wet and keep environment of the children clean. Mothers should breastfeed their babies for at least two years and children and infants must be kept in rooms having proper ventilation, he added.

Talking of major preventive measures, he said children below five years of age must be administered pneumococcal vaccine and haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine which is available under Expanded Program on Immunization. Both the vaccines are available at the allied hospitals free of cost, said Professor Rai.