Análise retrospectiva de aspectos clínico-epidemiológicos de infecções respiratórias agudas virais em crianças atendidas em um serviço de emergência de um hospital terciário de Fortaleza

Abstract

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting mainly children under five years old. These infections can be caused by different organisms, but viruses are the most frequent. This study aimed to describe clinical and epidemiological aspects of viral ARI in children 0-12 years of age treated in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in the city of Fortaleza, from January 2007 to December 2008. Therefore, we collected 1318 samples of nasopharyngeal secretions of children. The samples were subjected to indirect immunofluorescence for detection of the following respiratory viruses: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), adenovirus, influenza A and B and parainfluenza 1, 2 and 3. The results of this study showed that at least one respiratory virus was detected in 383 (29.1%) samples. The most prevalent virus was RSV (44.4%), and presented the same seasonal pattern of a defined association with the rainy season. Co-infection occurred in 12 (3.1%) samples and RSV was the most frequently associated. The average age of patients was 23 months and there was no association between gender of these patients and positivity of the tests, although most children were male. Among the clinical diagnoses of viral etiology, there was predominance of upper respiratory infection diseases (URID) (51.2%), and in relation to the specific diagnosis of the lower respiratory infections diseases (LRID), stood out pneumonia. Therefore, the results of this study highlight the importance of viruses as causes of ARI in children in Fortaleza, with the highest rates occurring between the months March to June, differing from the southern region, where the highest rates are found in the months from July to October.