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Study on the co-infection of children with severe community-acquired pneumonia
Khai Tran Quang1, Hung Tran Do1, Van Pham Hung2
1Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho, Vietnam.
Insights
Severe pneumonia in children is often caused by co-infections. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detected high rates of viral-bacterial co-infections, guiding targeted antibiotic treatment for better outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality in children under five.
- Viral pathogens are historically the most frequent cause of childhood community-acquired pneumonia.
- Microbiological co-infections in severe pediatric pneumonia present significant clinical challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causative agents of severe community-acquired pneumonia in children.
- To determine the prevalence of viral and bacterial co-infections using advanced molecular diagnostics.
- To inform clinical management strategies for severe pediatric pneumonia.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, descriptive study design was employed.
- Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was utilized for pathogen detection.
- Nasopharyngeal aspiration samples from 95 children with severe pneumonia were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The overall positive RT-PCR detection rate was 90.5%.
- Viral-bacterial co-infection was the most prevalent finding (43.1%), followed by bacterial co-infection (33.7%).
- Key identified pathogens included Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, MRSA, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Conclusions:
- RT-PCR is effective in identifying multiple pathogens in severe pediatric pneumonia.
- Understanding specific microbial profiles, including co-infections, is crucial for effective treatment.
- Tailoring antibiotic therapy based on detected microbes can improve clinical outcomes in severe pneumonia cases.
Backgroud:
Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in children under 5 years old. Viruses have historically been the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children. Co-infections in severe pneumonia are more concern by clinicians.
Method:
It was a perspective and descriptive study. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a modern test that was used to detect many new pathogens, including microbiological co-infections. RT-PCR technique was used in this study to investigate the causes of severe pneumonia.
Results:
Through the analysis of nasopharyngeal aspiration samples from 95 children with severe community-acquired pneumonia, the positive RT-PCR rate was 90.5%. Viral-bacterial co-infection accounted for the highest proportion (43.1%), followed by bacterial co-infection (33.7%), viral infection (7.4%), bacterial infection (6.3%) and the remaining 9.5% was unknown. In the co-infections groups, the five main bacteria species detected by PCR were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, MRSA, Moraxella catarrhalis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Conclusion:
Antibiotic treatment should focus on detected microbes in cases of severe pneumonia for having a good result.
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