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Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are the most common cause for hospitalization in pediatric patients. Pediatric patients with LRTIs are at an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The national data analysis of epidemiologic variations facilitates awareness and develops solutions to prevent these conditions in the future. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the epidemiology, causative pathogens, morbidity, and mortality of LRTIs in pediatric patients of Thailand from 2015 to 2019. Methods: This was a retrospective study among pediatric patients aged between 0 and 18 years old admitted in hospitals due to LRTIs in Thailand from January 2015 to December 2019. The data were extracted from National Health Security Office using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, Thai Modification; ICD‐10‐TM of J09 to J22. Results: A total of 1,423,509 children hospitalized due to LRTIs were identified. Most of the patients were of age 1–5 years. Pneumonia was the most common LRTI (876,557 children, 61.58%) in hospitalized children. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main etiologic pathogen of bronchiolitis, which presents in approximately 10.86% of all episodes. Influenza viruses were found predominantly in children with pneumonia (15.52%). The mortality rate since 2015–2019 was highest in pneumonia under 1 year old (P < 0.001). Pneumonia in children under 5 years old had the highest mortality rate, which accounted for 11.85 per 100,000 children in 2019. Conclusions: LRTIs had a high incidence rate of hospitalization and mortality, especially in children under 5 years old. Influenza virus was the most common pathogen of pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Phungoen et al. (2011) Clinical factors predictive of PCR positive in pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza virus infection. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 5(6), e558-e562. Objective Pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza virus (H1N1) has been spreading globally. Clinical features might be predictive and may be different among countries. Even though the PCR test is a confirmatory test for this viral infection, it is expensive and limited in most Thai health care facilities. We studied predictive factors of PCR positive in H1N1 suspected patients. Methods Consecutive patients who had influenza-like illness less than seven days and had been tested for H1N1 by the real-time PCR method between May and July 2009 were enrolled. Clinical data was collected and compared between those who had positive and negative PCR tests. Results There were 6494 patients had flu-like symptoms. Of those, 166 patients were done PCR test and 75 patients (45·18%) had positive PCR test. There were four predictors for positive PCR test including history of contact with confirmed H1N1 patients, headache, body temperature, and coryza with the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 2·84 (1·09-7·40), 6·25 (1·42-27·49), 1·69 (1·08-2·66), and 0·31 (0·12-0·79), respectively. Conclusions Clinical factors can be both suggestive and protective factors for H1N1 infection. These factors may be helpful in clinical practice to assess the possibility of the H1N1 infection in people who are at risk; particularly in resource-limited health care facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]