Severe Necrotizing Pneumonia in Children: A Challenge to Intensive Care Specialist

Necrotizing pneumonia (NP) is recently recognized as a complication of pneumonia. The data on NP are scant from developing world and we aimed to describe the characteristic features of NP in our children.

Single center retrospective cohort analysis.

Institutional database of children treated for pneumonia between September 2014 and May 2018 was searched to identify children with NP.

The demographic characteristics, laboratory results, and clinical information were recorded for patients selected as NP and analyzed.

In total, 10 patients (3.7%) of NP were identified out of 272 patients with pneumonia. Median age was 3 years (range: 3 months to 12years). All cases had severe respiratory distress and 70% required mechanical ventilation and inotropic support. The causative pathogens were identified in 6/10 children (60%) with Staphylococcus aureus being most common (4/10). Pleural effusion and pneumothorax were seen in six cases. Four cases had bilateral pleural effusion and three had bilateral pneumothorax. Intercostal drainage (ICD) was placed in 70% and bilateral ICD was placed in 40% cases. Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) developed in two cases and one had bilateral BPF. Median [inter quartile range] ICD days and hospital stay were 9 (6-14) and 13.5 (7.5-18.5) days, respectively. Mean (±SD) total antibiotic (in hospital plus outpatient) days were 28.8 ± 9.6 days. Four cases had airway hemorrhage and in three cases this was massive and fatal.

NP is a relatively rare but severe complication of pneumonia distinct from pediatric acute respiratory distress, pleural effusion and empyema. Airway hemorrhage is the most fatal complication.