title: [Mycoplasma sp. in the respiratory tract of hospitalized children].
abstract: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common bacteria causing respiratory diseases in other countries, specially in older children, adolescents and young adults and less frequently in the age group studied here, nevertheless the determination of its presence in this group was considered important. Two hundred and fifty throat swabs were taken from children, under five years of age, hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and to 50 children, same age, with no ARI (controls). The samples were placed in transport media and were incubated at 37 degrees C during 7 to 15 days. They were reinoculated in PPLO agar and typical colonies were looked for, 5 to 8 days later. The organisms were identified by biochemical tests. Eight Mycoplasma sp (3.2%) were obtained, five of them were M. pneumoniae (2.0%) and three M. hominis (1.2%). Only in 2 cases adenoviruses with M. hominis were found in the absence of other pathogens. It was shown that M. pneumoniae also infects children under five years old, so its present should be suspected, specially when the patient's health does not improve with the installed treatment. Some important suggestions for the isolation of mycoplasma are given.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García-Ramos
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ortega-Palma
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pizarro-Suárez
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
vernacular_title: Investigación de Mycoplasma sp. en las vías respiratorias de niños hospitalizados.