Evaluation of hospitalization of children aged 0 to 5 years admitted for respiratory infections at a large hospital.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the admission of children aged 0 to 5 years due to respiratory infections at a major hospital in the Southern region of the city of São Paulo. METHODS A total of 4,240 clinical records of children hospitalized and diagnosed with pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, bronchiolitis and bronchitis were evaluated for the 2008-2009 period, based on age, gender and year season. RESULTS Out of this total of children aged 0 to 60-months, 139 (3.2%) presented with pneumonia, with a slight predominance in female babies, and 73.4% occurred between 12 and 60 months (102 cases), particularly during the winter. No significant difference was found as to gender in bronchopneumonia. Age range and year seasons showed to be significant. As regards to bronchiolitis, there was a slight increase in male babies (253 cases) aged less than 12 months and in the autumn season. A total of 182 (4.3%) presented with bronchitis, mainly boys (101 cases) in children aged 12 to 60 months, predominantly during autumn/summer seasons. CONCLUSION The assessment of admissions of children aged 0 to 5 years due to respiratory infections at a major hospital at the Southern region of the city of São Paulo, in the 2008-2009 period, showed that respiratory diseases affect age groups, and gender in a different way occurring in specific periods of the year.