Clinical predictors of hospital admission in children with acute lower respiratory tract infection

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This is an prospective observational study1) To know the profile of children presenting to Pediatric emergency department with acute lower respiratory tract infection(ALRI) (2) To identify the risk factors which predict hospital admission in children with acute lower respiratory tract infection (3) To develop clinical score based on the above risk factors which help to predict hospitalisation. ALRI has a spectrum of presentation including pneumonia, brochiolitis, acute laryngo-tracheo-bronchitis with a spectrum of clinical severity. The decision whether ALRI should be treated in hospital or in the community is a difficult one. Severity scores have been promoted as useful tools to augment clinical judgement. The predictive scores have been designed for the pneumonia and Bronchiolitis, however in the absence of chest x-ray, broad term ALRI is used. Scores for ALRI determining hospital admission are non-existant.  The present study is designed to develop a simple scoring system for prediction of hospitalization among children presenting with ALRI. Our primary outcome measures are need for hospital admission.  Our secondary outcome measure will be death and need for ventilatory or inotropic support. The end point of the study is when the patient is discharged alive or died.