The etiology of pneumonia in malnourished and well-nourished Gambian children.
During a 2-year period 159 malnourished children ages 3 months to 5 years with radiologic evidence of pneumonia were investigated to determine the cause of their pneumonia. In addition 119 malnourished children without pneumonia, 119 well-nourished children with pneumonia and 52 well-nourished children without pneumonia were studied as controls. Percutaneous lung aspiration was performed on 35 malnourished and 59 well-nourished children with pneumonia. Bacteria were isolated from the blood, lung or pleural fluid of 28 (18%) malnourished children with pneumonia, 42 (35%) well-nourished children with pneumonia and from the blood of 5 (4%) malnourished children without pneumonia. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, which were the two organisms isolated most frequently in both groups of children with pneumonia, were found in 17 (11%) malnourished and 39 (33%) well-nourished children with pneumonia. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in 5 malnourished children with pneumonia. A potentially pathogenic virus was identified in 35% of malnourished children with pneumonia and 40% of well-nourished children with pneumonia, and from 25% of children without pneumonia. The viruses identified most frequently were adenovirus and respiratory syncytial virus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Medical Research Council Laboratories, Banjul, Gambia.
R A
RA
Adegbola
A G
AG
Falade
B E
BE
Sam
M
M
Aidoo
I
I
Baldeh
D
D
Hazlett
H
H
Whittle
B M
BM
Greenwood
E K
EK
Mulholland
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification