[Pneumococcal infection among community-acquired pneumonia. A retrospective study of 230 hospitalized children].
OBJECTIVE
To find arguments in favour of pneumococcal origin in community-acquired pneumonia.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of the files of 230 children hospitalized between January 1st 1999 and June 30th 2001 for community acquired pneumonia was performed. The files were classified into 3 subgroups: I (N=7), confirmed (positive blood culture); II (N=134), probable (biological arguments); III (N=89), possible pneumococcal infection. Age of the children was also taken into consideration.


RESULTS
All children in the subgroup I had fever>39 degrees C at admission and at least 1 of the 3 criteria (WBC> or=20.10(9)/l, neutrophils > or =10.10(9)/l, C-reactive protein level> or =60 mg/l). Dyspnea was more frequently asthmatiform in the subgroup III. Chest X-ray was not contributive. Before admission, 39% of the children were given one or several antibiotics, and so some of patients belonging to the subgroups II and III could have been infected by pneumococcus without possibility to confirm that.


CONCLUSIONS
Results of this analysis suggest that some criteria may be useful for selecting initial antibiotherapy even though systematic early specific antipneumococcal immunization should reduce the frequency of this infection.
Odièvre
M-H
MH
Service de pédiatrie, hôpital Louis-Mourier, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 178, rue des Renouillers, 92700 Colombes, France. marie-helene.odievre@lmr.aphp.fr
Sanni
E
E
de Broucker
F
F
Bonnet
E
E
Michot
A-S
AS
Laurent
C
C
Valdès
L
L
Weil-Olivier
C
C
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000382:microbiology; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002097:C-Reactive Protein