Authors: Ohonsi Abimbola Ajoke, Alli Jeremiah Samuel and Oyewusi Magdalene Ayienale
CITATION: Ohonsi Abimbola Ajoke, Alli Jeremiah Samuel and Oyewusi Magdalene Ayienale (2025). The pattern of morbidity and trends of respiratory admissions in a suburban hospital in South-South Nigeria: a five year review (2020-2024). Frontline Professionals Journal 2(9), 84-94
ABSTRACT
This retrospective study analyzed the patterns and trends of respiratory diseases among pediatric patients admitted to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State, Nigeria, from January 2020 to December 2024. The study included 771 patients aged 1 month to 18 years. The highest disease burden was observed in 2022 (25.2%), and infants (1 month-1 year) were the most affected age group (53.4%). Males had a higher prevalence of respiratory diseases (59.9%) compared to females (40.1%). Communicable diseases accounted for 91.0% of cases, while non-communicable diseases comprised only 9.0%. Age and sex were significantly associated with the prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Bronchopneumonia was the most common condition (32.8%), followed by pharyngotonsillitis (30.6%) and bronchiolitis (13.0%). The trend analysis revealed fluctuations in respiratory conditions over the study period, with bronchopneumonia consistently being the most prevalent. The highest burden of bronchopneumonia, pharyngotonsillitis, and bronchiolitis was observed in infants, while older children (4-12 years) had the highest proportion of bronchial asthma. The monthly distribution of cases showed peaks in October, August, and November, suggesting seasonal variations in respiratory illnesses. The findings emphasize the importance of age and gender in the incidence and distribution of respiratory diseases and highlight the need for effective interventions to reduce the burden of communicable respiratory diseases in the pediatric population. This study’s limitations include its retrospective data collection with incomplete admission outcomes. As a single-center study, the results’ generalizability is limited.