title: Meningococcal pneumonia: characterization and review of cases seen over the past 25 years.
abstract: Fifty-eight cases of meningococcal pneumonia were included in this review. Fifty cases previously described in the literature from 1974 through 1998 and 8 new cases were included in this series. The median age of patients was 57.5 years, and pleuritic chest pain was described in 21 (53.9%) of 39 cases. Blood cultures were positive in 42 (79.3%) of 53 cases for which results were mentioned. Despite the presence of bacteremia, patients did not develop the syndrome of meningococcemia with its associated complications. Serogroup Y meningococci were most commonly recovered and accounted for 44.2% of identified isolates. Therapy has dramatically changed over the past 25 years; prior to 1991, penicillin antibiotics were most often used. Since 1991, 12 (80%) of 15 patients received cephalosporin antibiotics. Only 5 (8.62%) of 58 patients died. Secondary cases of meningococcal infections following exposure to patients with meningococcal pneumonia were noted in 2 instances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37920-6999, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Winstead
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: McKinsey
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tasker
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: De Groote
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Baddour
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D012703:Serotyping; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents