Epidemiological patterns and clinical outcomes of paediatric community-acquired pneumonia in a tertiary care hospital, Ajman, UAE

Purpose: To examine the sociodemographic characteristics and clinical manifestations among patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) at the tertiary care hospital, Ajman, UAE. Methods: This observational retrospective cohort study involved 177 confirmed pediatric CAP patients admitted from January 2021 to December 2023. Data on sociodemographic status and clinical characteristics were obtained, and results were stratified according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Study population included 53.1 % males and 46.9 % females, and the mean age of the population was 4.3 years. Intravenous treatment was given to all patients; the treatment course varied from one to three days. Cough was more prevalent than fever; vomiting was the third most frequent after cough and fever, while difficulty breathing was more frequent in females compared to males. Furthermore, 50.28 % of the patients were discharged without new complications, and an equal proportion, 40.11 %, had to be prescribed antibiotics after discharge. Minor complications were recorded in 6.21 % of the patients, while 2.26 % needed transfer to the intensive care unit. No deaths were reported during the study. Conclusion: Short hospitalization durations suggest that the participants received adequate treatment. The various treatment regimens are considered appropriate as there were no mortalities. Finally, age was a significant factor since neonates are more prone to complications and need more aggressive therapy.