Severe recurrent pneumonia in children: Underlying causes and clinical profile in Vietnam

BACKGROUND: There is still limited data on severe recurrent pneumonia in children, especially in developing countries as Vietnam. This study was conducted to identify the underlying causes and clinical profile of children with severe recurrent pneumonia admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), National Children's Hospital. METHODS: This was a prospective and descriptive study on 110 children with severe pneumonia admitted to the PICU from November 2019 to August 2020. Data were collected to investigate the clinical profile and underlying diseases. RESULTS: Severe recurrent pneumonia accounted for 29.4%. Underlying causes were diagnosed in 91.8% of sRP children, in which the most common causes were abnormalities in respiratory, cardiovascular system and immune disorders. 74.5% of sRP children admitted to ICU had been previously intubated or ventilated, 34.5% had shock, 7.3% had multiple organ failure. Recurrent lesions on chest x-ray in the same lobe accounted for 18.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with severe recurrent pneumonia had an underlying disease. Comprehensive management is necessary for severe recurrent pneumonia.