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Published on: August 7, 2017
Demographic Characteristics of Children Diagnosed with Bacterial Tracheitis
Jenna H Barengo1, Andrew J Redmann2,3, Patrick Kennedy4
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Insights
Bacterial tracheitis (BT) in children presents with breathing difficulty and sore throat. Patients with BT were more likely to have private insurance than the general population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Respiratory Medicine
- Clinical Epidemiology
Background:
- Bacterial tracheitis (BT) is a severe upper airway infection.
- Understanding its clinical presentation and patient demographics is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.
- Socioeconomic factors may influence healthcare access and disease presentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the clinical presentation and course of pediatric bacterial tracheitis.
- To identify potential socioeconomic disparities among children diagnosed with BT.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series conducted at a tertiary care pediatric medical center.
- Included patients under 18 years diagnosed with BT between January 2011 and March 2019.
- Demographics of BT patients were compared to the surrounding county demographics.
Main Results:
- Common symptoms included difficulty breathing, stridor, and sore throat (81.8% each).
- 57.5% of patients required intensive care unit admission, and 39.4% needed intubation.
- Patients with BT were significantly more likely to have private insurance (81.8%) compared to the general population (63.4%, P < .001).
Conclusions:
- Bacterial tracheitis in children presents with significant respiratory distress.
- Children diagnosed with bacterial tracheitis showed a higher prevalence of private insurance, suggesting potential socioeconomic associations.
Objectives:
Examine the presentation and clinical course of patients with bacterial tracheitis (BT). Identify if socioeconomic differences exist among children who present with BT.
Methods:
This was a retrospective case series from a tertiary care pediatric medical center. The study group included patients less than 18 years old who were diagnosed with BT from January 2011 to March 2019. Patients with a tracheostomy and those who developed BT after prolonged hospitalization were excluded. Patient demographics were compared with the demographics of the counties surrounding the hospital.
Results:
33 patients with BT met inclusion criteria. The most common presenting symptoms were difficulty breathing, stridor, and sore throat (81.8% each), followed by cough (78.8%). Median length of stay was 3 days [interquartile range (IQR):2-4]. 19 patients (57.5%) were admitted to the intensive care unit. Intubation was required for 13 patients (39.4%), for a median length of 2 days [IQR:2-2]. Methicillin sensitive staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacterial etiology (33%). Mean presenting age was 8.58 years [95% confidence interval:7.3-9.9] and 14 patients were female (42.4%). 31 patients were white (93.9%), 1 was black (3%), and 1 was Hispanic (3%). BT patients were more likely to have private insurance compared to comparison (81.8% vs 63.4%, P < .001).
Conclusion:
Children who presented with BT were more likely to be privately insured than a comparison population.
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