Pediatric infectious diseases admissions: Sex differences and seasonal variations
1 Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
2 Department of Family Medicine, University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex, Akure, Nigeria.
3 Department of Paeditrics, University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex, Akure, Nigeria.
2 Department of Family Medicine, University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex, Akure, Nigeria.
3 Department of Paeditrics, University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex, Akure, Nigeria.
Research Article
GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2021, 15(02), 049–058.
Article DOI: 10.30574/gscbps.2021.15.2.0124
Publication history:
Received on 30arch 2021; revised on 02 May 2021; accepted on 05 May 2021
Abstract:
Objective: This study set out to assess sex differences and seasonal variations in Pediatric Infectious Diseases (PID) admissions.
Methods: One year retrospective study of PID admissions was conducted among children aged one month to 15 years. Relevant information retrieved from patients’ hospital records were dates of admission and discharge, age, sex, final PID diagnoses and outcome.
Results: Of 1,035 patients’ records assessed, 603 (58.3%) were males and 432 (41.7%) females (p<0.001). Males in ages 1-12 and 13-59 months contributed largely to the gender difference. Over the 12 months period, PID admissions mean was 86.25±21.92, with rainy and dry seasons means of 92.57±20.7 and 77.4±20.9, respectively (p<0.001). Ages 13-19, 60-119 and ≥120 months had significantly higher admissions mean during the rainy season (p<0.001 in each group), while higher admissions occurred among ages 1-12months in dry season (p<0.001). Top six PID managed were malaria, gastroenteritis, pneumonia, septicemia, meningitis and typhoid, and males had higher incidence in all except for typhoid, with only malaria having significant difference (p<0.001). Malaria, septicemia and typhoid incidence were higher significantly during the rainy season, while gastroenteritis occurred more in the dry season. Overall fatality rate was 4.6%; females and males rates were 6.3% and 3.5%, respectively (p=0.661). Rainy and dry seasons mortality means were 5±1.77 and 2.6±0.8, respectively (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Male children were more vulnerable to PID, with significant higher malaria incidence among them than females. PID incidence and mortality were significantly higher during the rainy season than dry. Malaria and gastroenteritis occurred significantly in rainy and dry seasons, respectively.
Keywords:
Pediatrics; Infectious diseases; Sex differences; Season.
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Copyright © 2021 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0
