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[THe etiology of pleuropneumopathies in infants and small children]

R Spineanu1, T Vaida, S Cheregi

  • 1Facultatea de Medicină si Farmacie Oradea.

Bacteriologia, Virusologia, Parazitologia, Epidemiologia (Bucharest, Romania : 1990)
|January 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

This 20-year study tracked pediatric pleuropneumopathies, finding Staph aureus and Strep pneumoniae as primary causes. Etiology became less precise over time, possibly due to un-tested anaerobic bacteria and coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Respiratory Infections in Children

Background:

  • Pleuropneumopathies are significant respiratory infections in young children.
  • Understanding the evolving etiology is crucial for effective treatment and prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the clinical aspects and etiological agents of pleuropneumopathies in infants and small children over a 20-year period.
  • To identify trends in the causative pathogens and the proportion of cases with unprecised etiology.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective study of 456 pediatric patients admitted with pleuropneumopathies between 1975 and 1994.
  • Comparative analysis of etiological data across four 5-year intervals.
  • Bacteriological identification of common pathogens, including Staph aureus, Strep pneumoniae, and Gram-negative bacteria.

Main Results:

  • A significant decrease in the number of cases observed over the 20-year study period.
  • Coagulase-negative/positive Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were the predominant etiological agents.
  • An increasing trend in cases with unprecised etiology was noted in the latter decade, potentially linked to un-tested anaerobic bacteria and coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Conclusions:

  • Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae remain key pathogens in pediatric pleuropneumopathies.
  • The rise in unprecised etiology warrants further investigation into less common or difficult-to-culture pathogens.
  • Longitudinal studies are essential for monitoring infectious disease trends in pediatric populations.

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