Korean J Pediatr.  2008 Apr;51(4):383-390. 10.3345/kjp.2008.51.4.383.

Epidemic acute interstitial pneumonia in children occurred during the early 2006s

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jdparkmd@sna.ac.kr
  • 3Department of Pediatrics, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with acute interstitial pneumonia who had presented similar clinical patterns from March to June, 2006 and to describe our experience of treatment and to identify risk factors associated with prognosis.
METHODS
The clinical characteristics, radiologic and histopathologic findings and response to steroids of 15 patients (non-survival group [n=7] and survival group [control, n=8]) with acute interstitial pneumonia were investigated through the review of medical records.
RESULTS
The mean age of the patients was 26 (range: 3-48) months. Cough, cyanosis and fever were frequent symptoms. The most frequent radiologic findings on admission were pneumomediastium and extensive ground glass opacity. Surgical lung biopsy was performed on 8/15 (53.3%) patients and diffuse alveolar damage was found. Mechanical ventilation was applied for 9/15 (60.0%) patients for 40 (range: 1-99) days. Five patients in survival group received steroid treatment and 7 patients in non-survivial group (P=0.20). One patient in survival group received steroid pulse treatment and 4 patients in non-survival group (P=0.12). Seven patients died all of respiratory failure. The survival rate was 53.4%.
CONCLUSION
The patients with acute interstitial pneumonia which occurred on spring 2006 showed high mortality because of rapidly and extensively progressing pulmonary fibrosis and air leakage. Therefore, we should consider surgical lung biopsy and steroid application earlier. We should recognize this acute interstitial pneumonia occurring on spring in domestics and need to investigate the cause and treatment in large scale.

Keyword

Acute interstitial pneumonia; Histopathology; Corticosteroid; Pneumomediastinum

MeSH Terms

Biopsy
Child
Cough
Cyanosis
Fever
Glass
Humans
Lung
Lung Diseases, Interstitial
Mediastinal Emphysema
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Respiration, Artificial
Respiratory Insufficiency
Risk Factors
Steroids
Survival Rate
Steroids
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