title: Microbial Etiology of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Among Infants and Children Admitted to the Pediatric Hospital, Ain Shams University.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While recognizing the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia is necessary for formulating local antimicrobial guidelines, limited data is published about this etiology in Egyptian pediatric patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of bacterial and viral pathogens causing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among immunocompetent Egyptian infants and preschool children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety infants and preschool-age children admitted to our hospital with CAP were prospectively included in the study. Etiological agents were identified using conventional bacteriological identification methods and IgM antibodies detection against common atypical respiratory bacteria and viruses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An etiology was identified in 59 patients (65.5%). Bacterial pathogens were detected in 43 (47.8%) of the cases while viral pathogens were detected in 23 (25.5%). Coinfection with more than one etiologic agent was evident in seven patients (7.8%). The most common typical bacterial cause of pneumonia wasStaphylococcus aureus(n= 12, 13.3%), followed byStreptococcus pneumoniaeandKlebsiella pneumoniae(n= 7, 7.8%, each). The commonest atypical bacterium wasMycoplasma pneumoniae(n= 10, 11.1%), whereas the commonest viral etiology was influenza viruses (n= 11, 12.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although we could not determine the causative agent in some studied cases, this study provides preliminary data regarding the spectrum and frequency of microorganisms causing CAP in Egyptian infants and preschool children.
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Magda Yehia
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: El Seify
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Eman Mahmoud
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Fouda
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hanan Mohamed
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Maha Muhammad
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fathy
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Asmaa Al
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Husseiny Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Walaa Shawky
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Khater
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Noha Nagi Mohammed Salah
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: El Deen
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Heba Galal Mohamed
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Abouzeid
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nancy Riyad Ahmed
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Hegazy
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University , Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Heba Salah Sayed
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Elbanna
keywords: bacterial; developing countries; pneumonia; respiratory infection; viral