Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Prospective study on the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia in children and adults in Spain

  • Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The cause of primary pneumonia was diagnosed in 157 of 198 children and 165 of 207 adults seen as inpatients or outpatients in a 12-month period. In childrenMycoplasma pneumoniae and pneumococcus were identified in 79 and 29 cases respectively. Twenty-nine of 53 cases of viral infection in children were caused by respiratory syncytial virus, two-thirds of the cases occurring in children under three years of age. No children died of pneumonia. In adults pneumococcus was the most common pathogen, accounting for 81 cases. The overall mortality in adults was 7.7%. A high mortality was found in patients withHaemophilus influenzae and other gram-negative bacilli infections, and in elderly patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. Coagglutination was more sensitive than counterimmuno-electrophoresis for the detection of pneumococcal antigen in respiratory samples (p<0.001). Counterimmunoelectrophoresis was the only useful technique for detection of pneumococcal antigen in urine specimens, concentration, overnight storage at 4 °C and specific staining significantly increasing positivity (p<0.001).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sullivan, R. J., Dowdle, W. R., Marine, W. M., Hierholzer, J. C. Adult pneumonia in a general hospital. Etiology and host risk factors. Archives of Internal Medicine 1972, 129: 935–942.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Macfarlane, J. T., Ward, M. J., Finch, R. G., Macrae, A. D. Hospital study of adult community-acquired pneumonia. Lancet 1982, ii: 255–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chretien, J., Holland, W., Macklem, P., Murray, J., Woolcock, A. Acute respiratory infection in children. A global public-health problem. New England Journal of Medicine 1984, 310: 982–984.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Washington, J. A. Noninvasive diagnostic techniques for lower respiratory infections. In: Pennington, J. E. (ed.): Respiratory infections: diagnosis and management. Raven Press, New York, 1983, p. 41–54.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Fung, J. C., Tilton, R. C. Detection of bacterial antigens by counterimmunoelectrophoresis, coagglutination and latex agglutination. In: Lennette, E. H., Balows, A., Hausler, W. J., Truant, J. P. (ed.): Manual of clinical microbiology. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, 1985, p. 883–890.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Austrian, R. The Quellung reaction, a neglected microbiologic technique. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine 1976, 43: 699–709.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ingram, D. L., Anderson, P., Smith, D. H. Counter-current immunoelectrophoresis in the diagnosis of systemic diseases caused byHaemophilus influenzae type b. Journal of Pediatrics 1972, 81: 1156–1159.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Rytel, M. W. Counterimmunoelectrophoresis in diagnosis of infectious disease. Hospital Practitioner 1975, 10: 75–82.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Anhalt, J. P., Yu, P. K. W. Counterimmunoelectrophoresis of pneumococcal antigens: improved sensitivity for the detection of types VII and XIV. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1975, 2: 510–515.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Sever, J. L. Application of a microtechnique to viral serological investigations. Journal of Immunology 1962, 83: 320–329.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Wilkinson, H. W., Fikes, B. J., Cruce, D. D. Indirect immunofluorescence test for serodiagnosis of Legionnaires disease: evidence for serogroup diversity of Legionnaires disease bacterial antigens and for multiple specificity of human antibodies. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1979, 9: 379–383.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Feizi, T., Maclean, H., Sommerville, R. G., Selwyn, J. G. Studies on an epidemic of respiratory disease caused byMycoplasma pneumoniae. British Medical Journal 1967, i: 457–460.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Foy, H. M., Kenny, G. E., McMahan, R., Mansy, A. M., Grayston, J. T. Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in an urban area. Journal of the American Medical Association 1970, 214: 1666–1672.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Loda, F. A., Clyde, W. A., Glezen, W. P., Senior, R. J., Scheaffer, C. J., Denny, F. W. Studies on the role of viruses, bacteria, andMycoplasma pneumoniae as causes of lower respiratory tract infections in children. Journal of Pediatrics 1968, 72: 161–176.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Paisley, J. W., Lauer, B. A., McIntosh, K., Clode, M. E., Schachter, J., Rumack, C. Pathogens associated with acute lower respiratory tract infections in young children. Pediatric Infectious Disease 1984, 3: 14–19.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. World Health Organization A programme for controlling acute respiratory infections in children: memorandum from a WHO meeting. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 1984, 62: 47–58.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Berman S., McIntosh, K. Selective primary health care: strategies for control of disease in the developing world. XXI: Acute respiratory infections. Reviews of Infectious Diseases 1985, 7: 674–691.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Shann, F., Gratten, M., Germer, S., Linnemann, V., Hazlett, D., Payne, R. Aetiology of pneumonia in children in Coroka Hospital, Papua New Guinea. Lancet 1984, ii: 537–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Mufson, M. A., Kruss, D. M., Wasil, R. E., Metzger, W. I. Capsular types and outcome of bacteremic pneumococcal disease in the antibiotic era. Archives of Internal Medicine 1974, 134: 505–510.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Garb, J. L., Brown, R. B., Garb, J. R., Tulhill, R. W. Differences in etiology of pneumonias in nursing home and community patients. Journal of the American Medical Association 1978, 240: 2169–2172.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Verghese, A., Berk, S. L. Bacterial pneumonia in the elderly. Medicine 1983, 62: 271–285.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. White, R. J., Blainey, A. D., Joy Harrison, K., Clarke, S. K. R. Causes of pneumonia presenting to a district general hospital. Thorax 1981, 36: 566–570.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Berntsson, E., Lagergard, T., Strannegard, O., Trolifors, B. Etiology of community-acquired pneumonia in out-patients. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1986, 5: 446–447.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Mufson, M. A., Chang, V., Gill, W., Wood, S. C., Romansky, M. J., Chanock, R. M. The role of viruses, mycoplasmas, and bacteria in acute pneumonia in civilian adults. American Journal of Epidemiology 1967, 86: 526–544.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Schachter, J. Chlamydia psittaci: “reemergence” of a forgottoen pathogen. New England Journal of Medicine 1986, 315: 189–191.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Edwards, E. A., Coonrod, J. D. Coagglutination and counterimmunoelectrophoresis for detection of pneumococcal antigens in the sputum of pneumonia patients. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1980, 11: 488–491.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Guzzeta, P., Toews, G. B., Robertson, K. J., Pierce, A. K. Rapid diagnosis of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. American Review of Respiratory Disease 1983, 128: 461–464.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Coonrod, J. D., Rylko-Bauer, R. Latex agglutination in the diagnosis of pneumococcal infection. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1976, 4: 168–174.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Van der Auwera, P., Andre, A., Buillard, G., Legrand, J. C., Gordts, B., Van Landuyt, H. Rapid diagnosis ofStreptococcus pneumoniae infectioons by antigen detection in urine, serum and CSF. Annales de Biologie Clinique 1985, 43: 397–406.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Ajello, G. W., Bolan, G. A., Hayes, P. S., Lehmann, D., Montgomery, J., Feeley, J. C., Perlino, C. A., Broome, C. V. Commercial latex agglutination tests for detection ofHaemophilus influenzae type b andStreptococcus pneumoniae antigens in patients with bacteremic pneumonia. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1987, 25: 1388–1391.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Coonrod, J. D., Rytel, M. W. Detection of type specific pneumococcal antigens by counterimmunoelectrophorsis. I: Methodology and immunologic properties of pneumococcal antigens. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 1973, 81: 770–777.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Coonrod, J. D. Physical and immunologic properties of pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide produced during human infection. Journal of Immunology 1974, 112: 2193–2201.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital de la Santa Cruz y San Pablo, Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Avd. San Antonio Ma. Claret 167, 08025, Barcelona, Spain

    V. Ausina, P. Coll, M. J. Condom, M. Luquin, F. Ballester & G. Prats

  2. Department of Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Cruz y San Palbo, Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Avd. San Antonio Ma. Claret 167, 08025, Barcelona, Spain

    M. Sambeat

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de la Santa Cruz y San Pablo, Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Avd. San Antonio Ma. Claret 167, 08025, Barcelona, Spain

    I. Puig

Authors
  1. V. Ausina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Coll
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Sambeat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. I. Puig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. J. Condom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M. Luquin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. F. Ballester
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. G. Prats
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ausina, V., Coll, P., Sambeat, M. et al. Prospective study on the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia in children and adults in Spain. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 7, 342–347 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01962334

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01962334

Keywords

Search

Navigation