title: Bacterial isolates and cigarette smoking in patients with chronic bronchitis: results from an Italian multicenter survey.
abstract: Patients who were cigarette smokers suffering exacerbations of chronic bronchitis were examined in eight outpatient clinics in five regions of Italy, three from the South (Campania, 82 patients; Sicily, 82 patients; and Puglia, 29 patients) and two from North (Lombardy, 33 patients; and Liguria, 50 patients). Haemophilus influenzae was the most frequently isolated bacterium in the patients' sputum (in 30% of the total group), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (in 20%), Staphylococcus aureus (in 25%), and Branhamella catarrhalis (in 7%). H. influenzae was the most common bacterium in the South (in 37%) and S aureus in the North (in 13%). Smoking index scores (number of cigarettes smoked daily x years of smoking) were 827 in patients in whom H influenzae was isolated; 691 in patients with S aureus; 599 in patients with S pneumoniae; 542 in patients with B catarrhalis; and 446 in patients in whom no isolates were found. Pulmonary function was most severely decreased in patients positive for H influenzae and S aureus. The results indicate an association between heavy cigarette smoking and lower respiratory tract infections that is influenced by regional differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, A. Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cazzola
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ariano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gioia
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rimoldi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scoccia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Girbino
mesh_terms: D001991:Bronchitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000187:drug effects; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects