CAUSES OF RESPIRATORY DISTRESS IN CHILDREN

There is a lack of large, prospective epidemiologic studies concerning acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in pediatric population. To determine the different causes of respiratory distress in children, we performed a retrospective study and included 567 children with respiratory distress referred to our hospital. Using their medical files, data including age, sex, and causes of respiratory distress were collected. SPSS 13.0 (statistical software) applied for statistical analysis. Pneumonia, asthma, and croup were the major causes of ARDS in children with a rate of 38.4, 19.04, and 16.5 percent, respectively. It seems that infectious factors are at the top of the list of ARDS causing factors which must be considered in approach and management of such patients. We suggest vaccinating these at risk groups against common infectious agents such as Hemophilus influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which can either cause pneumonia or induce asthma.