Abstract
We performed a prospective, observational study of etiology of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) admitted in our hospital, including bacteria, viruses and mixed bacteria/virus cases. From 228 patients, we carried out a complete microbiological searching, including sputa, urinary antigens, hemocultures, paired serologies, as well as viral immunofluorescence, and two PCR for respiratory viruses from nasopharyngeal washes.
At least one etiological agent was identified in 155 patients (67.98%). Fifty seven (36.7%) were typical bacterial CAP, 57 viral (or atypical bacterial) (36.7%) and 41 (26.4%) mixed (virus and bacterial). (Table 1)
Conclusions:
Viruses are very common agents in hospitalized adults with CAP, being present in more than half of the cases of well-known etiology, and in one out of three patients they were found as unique pathogen.
If we search, we can also identify mixed bacterial-viral CAP as a common cause of CAP. Adenovirus and Rhinovirus were the most prevalent viral agents in mixed pneumonias.
Streptococcus pneumoniae, alone or in association with virus, was the most prevalent agent, and one out of two pneumococcal CAP was associated with at least one virus. Viruses can have an important role in pathogenesis of pneumococcal CAP.
Searching virus should be considered in the study of hospitalized CAP.
- © 2011 ERS
