title: Clinical and microbiological features of Branhamella catarrhalis bronchopulmonary infections.
abstract: Branhamella catarrhalis bronchopulmonary infection was diagnosed in 101 patients with clinical lower respiratory tract infections by the presence of gram-negative intracellular diplococci in sputum and growth of more than 20 colonies of B catarrhalis in quantitative culture at a 10(-7) dilution. 94 patients had either chronic chest disease or were current or previous smokers, 59 had a cause of generalised immunosuppression, and 17 had a high risk of aspiration from the oropharynx. The pathogenicity of B catarrhalis was evident from purulence of sputum, fever, blood leucocytosis, and patchy pulmonary shadowing on chest radiographs. B catarrhalis infection contributed to 4 of 6 deaths. B catarrhalis was the only bacterial pathogen isolated from the sputum of 71 patients and it was isolated with other recognised bacterial pathogens from 30 patients. All 10 isolates of B catarrhalis tested were sensitive to oxytetracycline, all 82 tested were sensitive to cefuroxime, 93 of 96 were sensitive to erythromycin, and 85 of 95 to cotrimoxazole. Beta-lactamase was produced by 38 of 99 isolates of B catarrhalis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009346:Neisseriaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D009520:New Zealand; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001618:beta-Lactamases