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NJBMS - Volume 6, Issue 2, October - December 2015

Pages: 72-76
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CLINICAL AND BACTERIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA AMONG CHILDREN IN AND AROUND CHENGALPATTU

Author: C. P. RAMANI, V. PRANAVI

Category: Microbiology

Abstract:

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has become the major cause of mortality among children despite the availability of potent antibiotics and effective vaccines. This created the interest to identify the most com- mon bacteria causing pediatric CAP, which helps to reduce morbidity and mortality by early diagnosis and specific treatment.

Aims and Objectives: To study the prevalence of CAP, most common organisms and its susceptibility pat- tern, risk factors, and clinical outcome of the disease.

Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based case series study which was carried out between April 2014 and July 2014. The study population included 52 children, in the age group of 3 months to 12 years, with clinical pneumonia. Blood samples, sputum, and gastric aspirates were col- lected and processed. Serology and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were also performed. Statistical analysis was per- formed with SPSS statistical software.

Results: Children in the age group of 1-5 years were the most affected (46.15%) with male predominance (55.77%). The most common symptom was found to be fever (90.38%) followed by a cough (78.85%) and the most common organism isolated was Streptococcus pneumoniae (41.67%). The mortality was observed in two cases (3.84%).

Conclusion: CAP is still the common cause of morbidity and mortality due to the viru- lence of pathogens. The resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain to most of the antibiotics indi- cates the unnecessary use of antibiotics as one of the reasons for increasing resistance. Recurrent respiratory infections have been elicited as the risk factors for the development of severe illness.

Keywords: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pediatric community-acquired pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae