The Diagnostic Association of Radiological and Clinicopathological Parameters in Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Background Globally, pneumonia is one of the significant causes of death in children under the age of five years. Assessment of disease severity is essential for clinical decision-making. Clinicians in resource-limited settings use the WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMNCI) guidelines to diagnose and treat pneumonia. Chest X-rays and blood biomarkers are frequently performed in children presenting with pneumonia, but their role in clinical decision-making is limited. Objective To evaluate the association of chest X-ray results, clinical parameters, and blood inflammatory biomarkers with the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children to decide which tests are helpful in accurately classifying the severity of pneumonia. Methods This cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted at the Combined Military Hospital, Lahore, among 421 children aged two months to five years who were admitted with complaints of cough and difficulty breathing and were COVID-19 negative. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire, including demographic information and clinical categorization of pneumonia severity using WHO criteria, SpO2 levels, chest X-rays, complete blood count (CBC), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels obtained within 24 hours of admission. Statistical evaluation of 323 children was done using SPSS version 26, and analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were applied to determine statistical significance.…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 421 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 associated with proton pump inhibitors: a nationwide cohort study with propensity score matching
- Levofloxacin-Induced Tendon Rupture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
- Association between cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and respiratory tract infections in the first 6 months of age in a Korean population: a birth cohort study (COCOA)
- Neuroprotective Effects of Epicatechin against Oxidative Stress-Induced Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Quality evaluation and in vitro interaction studies between levofloxacin 250mg and diclofenac sodium 50mg tablets
- Molecular Epidemiology of mcr-1 -Positive Polymyxin B-Resistant Escherichia coli Producing Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) in a Tertiary Hospital in Shandong, China
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.