Incidence and disease burden analysis of Mycoplasma pneumonia in hospitalized children in Qingdao, Shandong, 2023

Objective To investigate the incidence and economic burden of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children in Qingdao, Shandong province, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children.

Methods The clinical data of the children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae hospitalized in Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao Pingdu People's Hospital, and Qingdao Huangdao District Central Hospital from January to December 2023 were collected. Software Excel 2019 and SPSS 21.0 were used for data process and analysis. Meanwhile, 200 sick children were randomly selected for telephone interview to investigate their economic burden due the illness.

Results From January to December 2023, a total of 4 947 children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae were hospitalized in the three hospitals mentioned above, accounting for 43.77% of the total hospitalized children with pneumonia. The proportion of Mycoplasma pneumoniae cases in girls (47.24%) was higher than that in boys (41.06%), the difference was significant (χ²=43.189, P<0.001). Mycoplasma pneumoniae can occur in children in different age groups, and the case proportion was higher in school-age and preschool-age children. The differences in proportion of Mycoplasma pneumoniae cases in total pneumonia cases among different age groups were significant (χ²=3 347.600, P<0.001). The proportions of Mycoplasma pneumoniae cases in spring, summer, autumn and winter were 27.06%, 27.04%, 60.64% and 47.18%, respectively, the differences were significant (χ²=1 056.594, P<0.001). The per capita total economic burden of hospitalized children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae was 5 086.90 yuan, of which the direct economic burden was 4 115.16 yuan (including drug costs and outpatient expenses) and the indirect economic burden was 971.74 yuan.

Conclusion In Qingdao, Mycoplasma pneumoniae occurs all the year round, with high incidence in autumn and winter. More Mycoplasma pneumoniae cases occurred in girls compared with boys, more cases occurred in school-age and preschool-age children compared with other age groups. The economic burden due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae should not be neglected.