Acute respiratory diseases in children under 5 years of age attending the rural outpatient clinic type II Las Dos Bocas

Abstract

Respiratory diseases impose an immense health burden worldwide and are currently public health problems affecting the entire population. They are among the ten most frequent causes of morbidity in children under five years of age. Objective: To clinically and epidemiologically characterize acute respiratory diseases in children under 5 years of age attending the Ambulatory Rural type II Las Dos Bocas, Colina municipality, Falcón state, during the period June - September 2021. Methodology: field research, non-experimental, cross- sectional. The sample selection was non-probabilistic and consisted of 49 children under 5 years of age in the area of influence. Results and conclusions: ARI were more frequent in females (51.02%); predominance in children under 1 year of age (32.65%) followed by 2 years of age (20.40%) and 4 years of age (14.28%); the most frequent risk factors were: exposure to biomass agents (100%) due to garbage burning and wood smoke, malnutrition (57.14%) and exclusive breastfeeding less than 6 months (55.10%). Among the clinical manifestations, fever (44.89%), general malaise (42.85%) and rhinorrhea (38.77%) were the main diagnoses: common cold (32.65%), acute pharyngotonsillitis (32.65%) followed by acute otitis media (14.28%).