Community acquired pneumonia in adults in Addis Abeba: etiologic agents, clinical and radiographic presentation

We prospectively studied 110 adult patients coming to Black Lion Hospital between August 1987 and July 1989 with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) for various etiologic agents and clinical and radiographic presentation. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common offending pathogen in 72% and 67.5% from sputum and lung aspirate (LA) Gram stain respectively, and in 41% by pneumococcal serotyping of sputum. Blood and LA culture grew Streptococcus pneumoniae in 4 (6%), Staphylococcus aureus in 4 (6%), Enterobacteriaceae in (3%), Pseudomonas, Klebsiella and Streptococcus viridans in one case each. Non-bacterial pathogens included Mycoplasma pneumoniae in 3 (3%), Influenza A in 4 (4%), Influenza B in 3 (3%) and psittacosis/LGV in 4 (4%). Fever, cough, chest pain, tachypnea and coarse crepitations/bronchial breathing were the most common presenting signs and symptoms. Thirty per cent had associated diarrhoea and vomiting initially and 9% had altered state of consciousness at admission. Six patients came in a state of shock. Thirty-nine per cent had underlying illnesses. Ninety-three per cent had either segmental or lobar consolidation. Parapneumonic effusion occurred in 14%. The mortality was 11%. Tachypnea, the presence of underlying illness, altered state of consciousness, extreme leucocytosis and the presence of bilateral and multilobar lung involvement were found to be signs of poor prognosis. Our finding is similar to those from other African countries, except that we are reporting psittacosis/LGV for the first time in Africa.