TITLE:
Asthma in Children at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of University Hospital of Brazzaville (Congo)
AUTHORS:
Engoba Moyen, Esthel Lee Presley Bemba, Judicael Kambourou, Gaston Ekouya-Bowassa, Evrard Romaric Nika, Grace Nkounkou, Verlem Bomelefa-Bomel, Annie Rachelle Okoko, Georges Moyen, Jean-Louis Nkoua
KEYWORDS:
Asthma, Children, Pediatric Intensive Care, CHU, Brazzaville
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.7 No.3,
August
4,
2017
ABSTRACT: Objectives: To describe the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects
of asthma in children at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of University Hospital
of Brazzaville. Patients and methods: We reviewed the records of children
hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of University Hospital of
Brazzaville from January 1 to December 31, 2015, and retained those from two
months to 17 years hospitalized for asthma. The study variables were: age, sex,
influence of seasons, history of atopy; the factors triggering the crisis, the type
of follow-up, the degree of severity of asthma exacerbation, the type of treatment
instituted and the course of the disease. In total, out of 2012 hospitalized
children, 65 children met the inclusion criteria. Results: The hospital prevalence
of asthma was 3.5%. Among 65 children of study, 42 (59.2%) were male
and 29 (40.8%) female. The mean age was 3.9 ± 2.9 years (range from 2
months to 14 years). Children aged 30 months to 5 years were the most
represented (40%). They were known as asthmatics, n = 18 (27.7%). Family
atopy was found, n = 11 (16.9%). Acute Otorhinolaryngologic infections were
in all cases the factors triggering the crisis. The peak frequency of hospitalizations
for asthma occurred during the short rainy season. The crisis was moderate
n = 46 (70%) and severe n = 19 (29%). Beta 2 mimetics were administered
in all cases, by subcutaneous in 18 cases (27.7%) and inhaled in 47 cases
(72.3%). The outcome was favorable in all cases with a mean hospital stay of
1.46 ± 0.92 days. Conclusion: Childhood asthma remains a public health
challenge and severe asthma is the paradigm of uncontrolled and costly asthma. This first work suggests that a large-scale study be carried out for a better
knowledge of it.