Effects of Acute Malnutrition on the Results of Pneumonia Treatment in Children From 2 Months to 5 Years Old

Background: Pneumonia is a very common disease in children, especially children under 5 years old, due to their immature immune system not being able to fight against environmental pathogens. Malnutrition affects the severity and outcome of pneumonia treatment. Objectives: 1) To describe the results of pneumonia treatment in acute malnutrition children from 2 months to 5 years old. 2) To determine the relationship between acute malnutrition and the results of pneumonia treatment in children from 2 months to 5 years old. Materials and method: 174 children with pneumonia with acute malnutrition from 2 months to 5 years old are receiving inpatient treatment at Can Tho Children's Hospital, Disease group: Children diagnosed with pneumonia according to the Ministry of Health 2014: Children with cough, fever accompanied by at least one of the signs of rapid breathing according to age, chest indrawing (the lower part of the chest indents during inhalation), or rales lung abnormalities (moisture rales, bronchial rales, crackles, etc.) 6. AND children diagnosed with acute malnutrition according to the Ministry of Health 2016: Children have 1 of 2 anthropometric conditions: arm circumference (MUAC) or weight for height (CN/CC) lower than the normal threshold for age and gender (in which, severe malnutrition with MUAC<115 mm or CN/CC<-3SD, moderate malnutrition with 115mm≤MUAC<125mm or -3SD≤CN/CC<-2SD) 7. Control group: children diagnosed with pneumonia without acute malnutrition. Disease control research. Results: Some characteristics after treatment: antibiotic combination was 28.2%, antibiotic change counted for 31.6%, respiratory support was 19.0%, intensive care unit transfer was 6.9%, curative treatment results was 98.7%. There is a significant correlation between acute malnutrition with pneumonia and the characteristics of treatment outcomes: severe pneumonia (p<0.001), combined with antibiotics (p<0.001), respiratory support (p=0.012) and transfer to Intensive Care Unit (p=0.017). Acute malnutrition with pneumonia was not significantly different from changing antibiotics (p<0.625) and death after treatment (p=0.560). Conclusion: Acute malnutrition is statistically significantly different from the severity of pneumonia, antibiotic combination, respiratory support, and transfer to the Intensive Care Unit.