title: The role of percutaneous lung aspiration in the bacteriological diagnosis of pneumonia in adults.
abstract: In a prospective study of 175 adults with acute pneumonia, percutaneous lung aspiration (PLA) was performed in 144 in an attempt to obtain a bacteriological diagnosis. Positive cultures were obtained from PLA in 90/144 cases (62.5%). The most common organisms isolated were Streptococcus pneumoniae (60%) gram-negative bacilli including Hemophilus influenzae (26%) and Staphylococcus aureus (11%). In 39% of those patients with positive PLA cultures, the same organism was isolated on blood cultures. Complications of PLA were uncommon, with hemoptysis in 4% and chest wall hematoma in 0.7% of patients. The incidence of post-aspirate pneumothorax was not determined in this study. PLA was found to be a safe and effective method of obtaining a bacteriological diagnosis in adult patients with pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: University of Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naraqi
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Igo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D011023:Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013396:Suction