Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Hospital study of acute respiratory infections in children of Northeast Brazil

From January to December 1998, 482 cases of acute respiratory infections in children attended at the emergence or pediatric wards of Centro Pediátrico Professor Hosannah de Oliveira, of Universidade Federal da Bahia, in Salvador (Brazil), were analysed. The aim of this study was to know data about the role of viruses in these infections. Nasopharyngeal secretions were examined for viruses by indirect immunofluorescence and cell culture. Viruses were detected in 154 (31.9%) cases. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most prevalent (55.2%), followed by influenza A (17.5%), parainfluenza 3 (16.2%), adenoviruses (7.1%), influenza B (3.8%) and parainfluenza 1 (0.64 %). The epidemic period of RSV was related to the rainy season. One outbreak of influenza was observed from September to November. The majority of the infections were represented by upper respiratory tract infection (63.3%) while lower respiratory tract infections were detected in 177 (36.7%) cases. Viral acute respiratory infections were more frequent in children until one year of age (72.7%).

Acute respiratory infections; Children; Viruses


Sociedade Brasileira de Patologia Clínica, Rua Dois de Dezembro,78/909 - Catete, CEP: 22220-040v - Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Tel.: +55 21 - 3077-1400 / 3077-1408, Fax.: +55 21 - 2205-3386 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil
E-mail: jbpml@sbpc.org.br