title: [Community-acquired pneumonia in patients in 2 hospital populations].
abstract: Patients hospitalized with community acquired pneumonia were studied prospectively in two hospitals located in the surroundings of Buenos Aires city. Fifty two patients from General Hospital Manuel Belgrano (HMB) were included from March 1998 to February 1999 and 23 patients from Hospital Dr A. Cetrangolo (HCET) for respiratory disease, were included from June 2000 to May 2001. Patients with lung tuberculosis, lung neoplasia and HIV infection were excluded. Clinical background, signs and symptoms were recorded. Microbiological examinations performed included bacteria, respiratory viruses and mycobacteria. Studies for "atypical" bacteria (Chlamydia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella spp.) were carried out by serological methods. No differences in age and gender were observed between both groups. Most frequently observed comorbidities in the HMB group included COPD, diabetes and cardiac failure while in the HCET group these were COPD, asthma and lung fibrosis. Etiology was established in 48% and 65.2% of the patients in the first and second group, respectively. Most frequent agents were Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza A and Legionella spp.; the last one was detected in 12% of the patients. Most of these patients were from HMB and presented a good outcome. Mortality was similar in both groups (13.3%). In the HBM group it was related to the presence of comorbidities in 7 out of 8 cases, and in the HCET group it was a consequence of the worsening of their chronic respiratory failure.
authors.affiliation: Hospital del Tórax Dr. A. Cetrángolo, Vicente López, Provincia de Buenos Aires. ocaber@intramed.net.ar
authors.forename: Oscar J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Caberlotto
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cadario
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Garay
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Copacastro
authors.forename: Asunción
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabot
authors.forename: Vilma L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Savy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification