Lower respiratory tract infections among children attending a tertiary hospital in Benin city, Nigeria

Objective: Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a major cause of paediatric morbidity and mortality, especially among non-affluent communities. Etiology and susceptibility profiles vary with location and   time, necessitating periodic review for optimal management. Methods: Lower respiratory tract specimens were collected from 176 children (one day to 18 years old) with signs and symptoms of LRTI. The specimens were processed to recover microbial isolates and susceptibility tests were performed on bacterial isolates using standard techniques. Results: The prevalence of culture-positive LRTIs did not differ significantly between both genders (p = 0.824). LRTIs were significantly associated with in-patient children (in-patient vs out-patient: 59.2% vs 37.0%; OR = 2.47 95%; CI = 1.34 - 4.56, p = 0.0055). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most prevalent organism causing LRTI in children. Ofloxacin was the most active antibacterial agent against bacterial isolates from in-patients and out-patients. Conclusion: An overall prevalence of 46.6% of bacterial LRTI among children was observed. Prudent use of antibiotics is advocated.