title: [Etiology of pneumonia in hospitalized patients less than 3 years of age].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the etiology of pneumonia in hospitalized patients less than 3 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 316 children with pneumonia admitted to the Children's Hospital of Suzhou University in Jiangsu Province from March, 2006 to January, 2007 were enrolled in this study. Sputum samples were obtained by deep nasotracheal aspiration technique for bacterial and viral cultures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 316 samples, specific microbial etiology was obtained in 192 cases (60.8%). Bacterial infection was found in 162 cases (51.3 %), viral infection in 19 cases (6.3%)and compound infection with virus and bacteria in 11 cases (3.5 %). Haemophilus influenzae was the most common agent (46 cases; 14.6%) in bacterial infection, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (32 cases; 10.1%). Respiratory syncycial virus (RSV) was the most common agent (12 cases; 4.0%) in viral infection, followed by adenovirus (11 cases; 3.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bacterial infection was a leading cause of pneumonia in children less than 3 years of age in Suzhou area. Haemophilus influenzae was the most common agent, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chuang-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Gen-Ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu-Zun
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yun-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yun-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Li-Juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology