الفهرس 
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Abstract
SUMMARY
The most common cause of illness in children & one of the most common indications for imaging in children are the lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). The most widespread and fatal of all acute disease, pneumonia is now ‘captain of the men of death’. Primarily each year an estimated 4 million children in developing countries die from pneumonia. Viruses such as influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, are responsible for 45% of the episodes of LRTI. But there are several non-infectious causes also, such as aspiration of food, or gastric acid, foreign bodies, hydrocarbons and lipid substances, hypersensitivity reactions and drugs or radiation induced pneumonitis.
Vitamin C supplementation may have preventive effects in populations with a high incidence of LRTI and may have therapeutic effects in populations with low plasma vitamin C levels.
So the aim of present study was to determine whether subclinical vitamin C deficiency in Egyptian children under 5 y of age is a risk factor for severe acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI).
This study was done on 60 Egyptian children [31 males (51.7%) and 29 females (48.3%)] hospitalized with acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) of different severity. Their age ranged between 7 and 58 months with mean age was 30.08±14.54 months.
Our statisitical analysis shows the following data:
•Most of our children were in medium socioeconomic state with first order of birth.
•Frequency of similar condition and artificial feeding were higher in cases compared to control.
•Most of cases were on artificial feeding while most of controls were on breast feeding.
•Levels of TLC and CRP was higher in cases infected by bacterial compared to those infected by viral pathogens, while level of vitamin C was nearly equal in both infection with no significant difference between them.
•Breast fed group had higher vitamin C levels than those in infants on artificial feeding with no significant differences between them.
•Levels of TLC and CRP were higher in cases compared to control group while level of vitamin C was lower in cases compared to control group.
•Vitamin C level at 450 ng/mL tie between the positive actual state group and the negative actual state group with sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 100%. Patients had vitamin C less than 450 ng/ml were more prone to LRTI.
•There were positive correlation between vitamin C and frequency of similar illness and cough. While there were negative correlation between vitamin C and respiratory rate, CRP and TLC count.