title: Rapid aetiological diagnosis of pneumonia based on routine laboratory features.
abstract: The values of some basic laboratory features on admission to hospital were recorded and compared in 418 adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia, namely erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, white blood cell (WBC) count, serum lactate dehydrogenase (S-LD), serum alanine-aminotransferase, and serum sodium. Discriminant analysis was performed to obtain an aetiological diagnosis. WBC value of greater than 15 x 10(9)/l strongly indicated a bacterial and, especially a pneumococcal aetiology, whereas increased S-LD could imply a mycoplasmal infection. For patients less than 50 years of age the equation C2 = -1.788 + 0.204 x WBC-0.0909 X S-LD was constructed, in which C2 greater than 0 indicated a pneumococcal aetiology. This function correctly classified 31/33 (93.9%) patients with a mycoplasmal and 20/31 (64.5%) patients with a pneumococcal infection. Patients with viral, Haemophilus influenzae or chlamydial infection could not be discriminated from each other. The age of the patient, WBC and possibly S-LD on admission are easily accessible parameters and these results could therefore be of value in daily clinical practice in hospitals.
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Orebro Medical Center Hospital, Sweden.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Holmberg
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Bodin
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Jönsson
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Krook
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase