title: Different microbiological and clinical aspects of lower respiratory tract infections between China and European/American countries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  National treatment/diagnosis guidelines for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are generally based on local epidemiological data. Etiology and drug-resistance patterns could differ between China and European/American countries, and simply following their respective guidelines might cause problems in clinical practice. Therefore, we need to summarize the microbiology and clinical manifestations of LRTIs in China and develop our own guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three major national multicenter epidemiology surveillance studies on LRTI were completed recently. The data were compared in detail with those from European/American studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical and microbiological differences were observed in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), and pulmonary mycosis between our country and European/American countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The microbiological and clinical characteristics of the major LRTIs in China differ in many respects from those in European/American countries. Patients should have personal treatment plans instead of simply following the guidelines from foreign countries.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Respiratory Diseases, 2 Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Respiratory Diseases, 2 Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Respiratory Diseases, 2 Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Xiuzhen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Di
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Respiratory Diseases, 2 Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Respiratory Diseases, 2 Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Youning
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: Pathogens; antimicrobial resistance; epidemiology; lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs)