Hospital-based surveillance for radiological pneumonia in children under 5 years of age in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

Background and rationalePneumonia is responsible for about 1.4 million deaths in children under five years of age, mostly in developing countries, including India. In India, Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) and Haemophilus influenzae (HI) are the common bacterial etiologic agents of pneumonia, and often cause abnormal chest radiology. Vaccine against HI has already been introduced in India. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) roll out will begin in 2017–2018 in a phased manner using Gavi funding.Objectives(1)To estimate the annual incidence of radiological pneumonia in children between 2 and 59 months of age, in prespecified districts.(2)To document the clinical and demographic characteristics of cases of WHO-defined community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) with lower chest in-drawing (LCI) and severe CAP, by establishment of hospital-based surveillance network.Study designIn a prospective design, surveillance for WHO-defined radiological pneumonia in patients hospitalized for CAP is being done in two districts each of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. For this, a pneumonia surveillance network of public and private hospitals has been established. Data are abstracted from hospital records. One copy of routine chest X-ray is also collected, digitalized, and archived electronically. An independent panel of radiologists interprets the X-rays. Five milliliters of urine of a subset of cases is being stored at −20 °C for future antigen testing.In Phase I, procedures were standardized, hospital network established, and recruitments initiated from Lucknow district. This was expanded in Phase II to include Etawah district, Uttar Pradesh and Patna and Darbhanga districts of Bihar.ProgressA pneumonia surveillance network was established, having 120 health facilities in Lucknow, 60 in Patna, 64 in Darbhanga and 17 in Etawah. From 1st January 2015 to 30th April 2016, 745 CAP cases were enrolled in Lucknow. From 1st January to 30th April 2016 Patna recruited 229, Darbhanga 321 and Etawah 80 cases. Chest X-rays of all cases have been archived for interpretation by the panel of radiologists.ImplicationsBaseline incidence of radiological pneumonia in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will be estimated and follow-up data will enable assessment of the impact of PCV introduction.