title: [Clinical features and etiology of community-acquired pneumonia at a general hospital between 1994 and 1997].
abstract: To characterize the clinical features and etiology of recently encountered cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), we carried out a hospital-based retrospective study of 120 episodes of CAP (115 patients) at Tagami Hospital, Nagasaki City between 1994 and 1997. We identified the causative pathogens in 55 episodes (50 patients) by sputum Gram stain and quantitative culture, for a determination rate of 45.8%. Streptococcus pneumoniae (17 episodes) and Haemophilus influenzae (15 episodes) were the primary causative organisms. It is noteworthy that two major nosocomial pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa; 5 episodes) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; 2 episodes), were also identified as causative agents of CAP. These two pathogens were isolated from patients with severe underlying diseases and patients who had been repeatedly hospitalized. The incidence of CAP due to P. aeruginosa and MRSA is increasing because patients with respiratory colonization by these nosocomial pathogens are often followed up on an outpatient basis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Tagami Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Motomura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takasugi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furumoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akahori
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oishi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagatake
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity