Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To investigate the distribution and changes of pathogens among hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in a hospital of Shanxi province from 2022 to 2024, and to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
METHODS A total of 3 894 children with CAP admitted to the respiratory department of Shanxi Children's Hospital from Jan. 2022 to Dec. 2024 were enrolled. The differences in the positive detection rates of 12 respiratory pathogens across different ages, seasons and disease severity levels, as well as the incidence of mixed infections, were analyzed during two periods (the control period in 2022 and the routine management period from 2023 to 2024).
RESULTS The overall pathogen detection rates during the control period and the routine management period were 66.97% and 81.42%, respectively, with statistically significant differences observed across different ages and seasons (P<0.001). During the control period, the top four pathogens detected were Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) at (56.23%), Haemophilus influenzae (6.86%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (5.60%) and Moraxella catarrhalis (1.26%). The mixed infection rate was 7.54%, primarily involving "H. influenzae + MP", "S. pneumoniae + MP", and "S. pneumoniae + M. catarrhalis". The pathogen detection rate in severely ill children (73.51%) was higher than that in mildly ill children (58.76%) (P<0.001). During the routine management period, the top four pathogens detected were MP (66.08%), H. influenzae (6.66%), S. pneumoniae (6.16%) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (4.80%). The mixed infection rate was 15.73%, primarily involving "H. influenzae + MP", "S. pneumoniae + MP", and "adenovirus (ADV) + MP". The detection rate in mildly ill children (85.16%) was higher than that in severely ill children (69.33%) (P<0.001). Compared with the control period, the overall pathogen detection rate, mixed infection detection rate, and positive rates of MP, RSV, ADV, influenza A virus (Flu A) and Flu B increased during the routine management period (P<0.05), while the positive rates of bacteria remained relatively stable.
CONCLUSIONS After the adjustment of prevention and control policies, significant changes have occurred in the prevalence of certain pathogens, with MP consistently being the primary pathogen in children with CAP and a high rate of mixed infections. RSV infections are more common in infants and young children.