[Current infection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in adults: clinical analysis of 13 hospitalized patients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) current infection in adults.


METHODS
The clinical data of 13 patients in Beijing, 7 males and 6 females, aged 21.9 (17 - 34), hospitalized from April 2003 to April 2004, were reviewed retrospectively.


RESULTS
Seven of the 13 patients were the schoolmates of the same military school, 3 being in the same class but not living in the same dormitory, 3 being hospitalized with an interval of 5 days and 2 with an interval of 2 days. A 4-fold or higher titer rise was found 16 - 17 days after the onset of symptoms. Six cases showed antibody negative at the first visit (2 - 8 days after the onset). The most common symptoms included fever (13/13), cough (11/13), mild headache (5/13), and sore throat (5/13). No symptoms of sneeze, nasal obstruction, skin rash, and ear pain were found. There was no leukocytosis. Ten patients had pneumonia confirmed by X-ray examination. Appropriate macrolide plus quinolones were effective in the treatment. However, there was no significant difference between the curative effect of erythromycin and that of azithromycin.


CONCLUSIONS
MP mainly attacks young people and mainly causes pneumonia. Extrapulmonary complication is rare. It is not advisable to use a single high antibody titer as the criterion for diagnosis of MP current infection.
Liu
Chun-Ling
CL
Department of Infectious Disease, General Hospital of Air Force, Beijing 100036, China.
Ji
Shu-Guo
SG
Zhang
Bo
B
Zhou
Ping
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004917:Erythromycin; D017963:Azithromycin