Treatment outcome of community acquired pneumonia among pediatric patients admitted to pediatrics wards at university of Gondar comprehensive and specialized hospital, northwest Ethiopia: a Retrospective cohort study

Background Pneumonia is inflammation of the lung parenchyma and is a substantial cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a type of pneumonia termed when patients who develop pneumonia in the outpatient setting and have not been in any health care facilities within 90days. Objective The objective of this study was to determine treatment outcome of community acquired pneumonia among hospitalized pediatric patients. MethodA retrospective cohort study was conducted from April 15, 2019 to July 15, 2019 and included patients who were admitted and hospitalized in pediatrics wards from September 1, 2015 to March 30, 2019. The study included pediatric age groups between one month and fifteen years old. Study Participants were selected based on the diagnosis of Community acquired pneumonia. Systematic sampling technique was used. All the statistical data were carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20) and descriptive statistics were presented using means with standard deviation and percentages. Binary logistic regression model was fitted to measure the association between independent and dependent variables including duration of signs and symptoms. 95% Confidence interval was used. Statistically significant at P < 0.05. Results A total of 385 patients with Community Acquired Pneumonia were included in this study of whom 368(95.65%) were discharged and 17(4.4%) of patients were dead. Drug therapy change (AOR 20.308(3.666-112.501), P = 0.001), Prescribing and taking of large number of drugs (above 5 drugs) (AOR 0.067, CI (0.015-0.313), P = 0.001), Loss of appetite (AOR 38.641, CI (5.454-273.769), P = 0.000), and Blood transfusion (AOR 10.514, CI (1.752-63.113), P = 0.01) have significant association with the treatment outcome of death. Conclusion Poor treatment outcome (death) was accounted for 4.4% of the pediatric patients hospitalized with community acquired pneumonia in this study setting. Based on the findings of this study Community acquired pneumonia is still a cause of substantial mortality of children under 15years old while on standardized treatment strategies. Antibiotic drug therapy change, taking increased number of drugs, loss of appetite and blood transfusion are the factors that contribute to this poor treatment outcome of CAP among children under 15years old.