Study of viral lower respiratory tract infections in children

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI ) are an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. Respiratory viruses contribute significantly to cause lower respiratory tract infections in children. My research work will help to highlight the disease burden of LRTI due to viruses and identify the type of virus causing it. The frequency of viral etiological agents in children under 10 years of age with acute lower respiratory tract infections was determined in order to highlight a significant proportion of LRTIs due to viruses and to discourage the injudicious use of antibiotics in such cases. One hundred and fifty paediatric patients of age less than 10 years of both genders who fulfilled the operational definition of LRTI and got admitted were included in the study.Nasopharyngeal aspirates from all those patients were taken and viral genome was detected by real time PCR. This study concludes that viruses are an important cause of LRTIs in children and among them Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Parainfluenza Virus type 3 contribute the most in causing acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in children .