Abstract

Background: Acute respiratory illness (ARI) is the most common cause of preventable mortality in under five aged children. For the early recognition of severity and prompt treatment of ARI Acute illness observation scale (AIOS) an illness severity scale developed by P.L.McCarthy on the basis of simple observation was used in the current study. This score is a sensitive tool to identify severity of illness. So this score was used in the study to correlate with radiological abnormalities in children with ARI.

Methodology: The current study is a descriptive epidemiological study conducted in 60 children in the age group of 2-59 months with acute respiratory illness. AIOS score was calculated for every child and x-ray was taken on the day of admission and the results were correlated.

Results: On the basis of the AIOS score the children were stratified. The relationship between AIOS score and the x-ray abnormalities were studied. There were 7 children who scored 10 with no signs of respiratory distress. In the 12 children who scored 11-15 there was mild to moderate distress and there were 41 children with severe distress who scored >16. In the x-ray, radiological abnormalities like hyperinflation (Bronchiolitis) was present in 16 children of which 19% of children scored 11-15 and 75% of the children scored >16. Radiological abnormalities suggestive of pneumonia were present in 33 patients of which 24% of them were in 11-15 group and 66% of them were present in >16 as per AIOS score. On statistical analysis it was found that AIOS score is significant in predicting abnormal radiological findings (p value=0.002) in ARI in under five aged children.

Conclusion: AIOS scoring is useful in predicting abnormal x-ray findings in respiratory illness in 2-59 months old children.