VITAMIN D LEVEL IN CHILDREN PRESENTING WITH RECURRENT LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Introduction: Acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI), like pneumonia and bronchiolitis, is among the leading cause of death worldwide in children under 5 years of age and is the most common reason for hospital admission of children under 5 children. Risk factors of ALRI include low birth weight, top feeding, incomplete vaccination, air pollution, over-crowding, parental smoking, and chronic ailments. It is also hypothesized that the increased prevalence of ALRI during winter months is due to decrease in Ultraviolet B radiation exposure to skin resulting in decreased Vitamin D production. The rationale of this study is to see the magnitude of Vitamin D deficiency in children presenting with LRTI in emergency of a Tertiary care hospital. Objective: The objective of my study was to:  “determine the frequency of Vitamin-D deficiency among children presenting with lower respiratory tract infections in a tertiary care hospital” Study Design: Cross sectional survey. Duration of Study: Six months i.e; From: 01.06.2017 to 30.11.2017 Settings: Pediatric ward, General Hospital, Lahore. Results: In this study, total 130 patients were taken, 46.15%(n=60) were between 02-12 months of age and 53.85%(n=70) were between 13-24 months of age, mean+sd was calculated as 12.57+6.22 months, 48.46%(n=63) were male while 51.54%(n=67) were females. Frequency of vitamin-D deficiency among children presenting with lower respiratory tract infections was recorded in 39.23%(n=51) while 60.77%(n=79) had normal levels. Conclusion: We concluded that the patients having LRTI have a high frequency of Vitamin D deficiency. So, it is recommended to screen every child who is diagnosed with lower respiratory tract infection for vitamin D deficiency. It is also recommended that every setup should have their surveillance to know the exact magnitude of this problem.