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. 2015 Apr;19(4):203-7.
doi: 10.4103/0972-5229.154549.

Prevalence of hypoxemia in under-five children with pneumonia in an emergency pediatrics hospital in Sudan

Elmuntasir Taha Salah  1 , Samah Hamadnalla Algasim  2 , Alamin Saeed Mhamoud  1 , Nazik Elmalaika Obaid Seid Ahmed Husian  3
Affiliations

Prevalence of hypoxemia in under-five children with pneumonia in an emergency pediatrics hospital in Sudan

Elmuntasir Taha Salah et al. Indian J Crit Care Med. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Context: Hypoxemia is a common and potentially lethal complication of acute respiratory infection in children under-five, particularly among those with severe disease.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypoxemia in under-five Sudanese children with pneumonia.

Settings and design: A cross-sectional study conducted in a pediatrics hospital in a developing country.

Subjects and methods: Data were collected using structured questionnaire and oxygen saturation was measured using a pulse oximeter. Hypoxemia was defined as arterial blood oxygen saturation <90%.

Results: Of 150 studied patients, 86 (57.3%) were males and 46 (32%) were in the age group 2 to ≤12 months. Of the total number, 42.7% had hypoxemia (with pulse oximeter oxygen saturation <90%), out of them 36 (56.25%) were in the age group <2 months. Of the hypoxic patients, 30 (46.88%) had severe pneumonia, and 7 (10.94) had very severe pneumonia (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The prevalence of hypoxemia was 42.7% among the studied population. There was a significant association between the hypoxemia and small age group and very severe pneumonia. In limited resource settings pulse oximeter can be used to correctly identify hypoxemia in under-five children particularly among those diagnosed clinically as very severe pneumonia.

Keywords: Children; Sudan; hypoxemia; pneumonia; pulse oximeter.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of the study group according to age
Figure 2
Figure 2
Classification of pneumonia according to the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness among the studied children
Figure 3
Figure 3
Relation between oxygen saturation and age of the studied children
Figure 4
Figure 4
Relationship between oxygen saturation and classification of pneumonia among the studied population
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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