Sentinel surveillance in bacterial pneumonia in children under 5 years old in a fourth-level pediatric hospital in Colombia 2016-2022

Objectives: Sentinel surveillance for bacterial pneumonia (SSBP) allows the monitoring of immunopreventable diseases. The results of the SSBP carried out at HOMI, Fundación Hospital pediátrico de la Misericordia, are presented.

Methods: The daily active search for cases was carried out in accordance with the protocol of the Pan American Health Organization from January 2016 to December 2022.

Results: There were 6970 suspected cases of bacterial pneumonia (BP). Among the 3048 (43.7%) patients with probable BP, cultures were obtained from 2777 (91.1%), and BP was confirmed in 190 (6.2%). The causes were Streptococcus pneumoniae in 98 (51.6%) cases, Spn19A in 47 (48%), Spn3 in 16 (16%), and Spn6C in 4 (4%). Haemophilus influenzae was found in 32 (16.8%) cases: non-typeable H. influenzae in 20 (62.5%), H. influenzae type b in five (15.6%), and H. influenzae type a in two (6.2%). Other bacteria were found in 60 (31.6%) cases. A total of 51.6% and 42.9% of patients with S. pneumoniae had decreased sensitivity to penicillin and ceftriaxone, respectively.

Conclusions: The serotypes included in the conjugate vaccines for pneumococcus and H. influenzae b decreased significantly, and serotype turnover was observed. Among the S. pneumoniae cases, Spn19A, Spn3, and Spn6C were the most frequent serotypes and associated with multiresistance. The SSBP allows us to determine the clinical behavior of the disease and to detect the serotypes emergence.