Clinical and bacteriological profile of hospitalized community acquired pneumonias--a preliminary study

The spectrum of clinical and bacteriological features of 46 cases of pneumonias presenting to U.C.M.S. and Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital complex in East Delhi over a period of three months are presented and their etiopathogenesis discussed. The high incidence of pneumonias in admitted patients belonging to the population adjacent to the hospital is highlighted. Etiological diagnosis based on sputum culture and sensitivity tests was possible only in 37% cases, and there is need for the use of newer even though invasive methods for arriving at the bacteriological diagnosis.