title: A prospective study on bacterial and atypical etiology of acute exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The bacterial and atypical etiology of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was investigated and the diagnostic techniques used were compared among 92 hospitalized patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sputum specimens were investigated using culture and PCR, serological status evaluation was performed and the inflammatory profile was associated with the microbiological results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the patients (65.2%) had very severe airway obstruction. The most common bacteria were Haemophilus influenzae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23.9 and 14.1%, respectively). Acinetobacter baumannii- and P. aeruginosa-positive cultures were associated with prolonged hospitalization and severe airway obstruction (p = 0.03 and 0.031, respectively). Chlamydia pneumoniae or Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was diagnosed in four and two patients, respectively. Discrepant results were detected between PCR and serology, especially regarding C. pneumoniae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Medical School, University of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakou
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Papaparaskevas
authors.forename: Filia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diamantea
authors.forename: Nikoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Skarmoutsou
authors.forename: Vlasis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Polychronopoulos
authors.forename: Athanassios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsakris
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Chlamydia pneumoniae; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; PCR; culture; exacerbation of COPD; sputum