BACKGROUND The role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of pneumonia is still poorly understood. In a previous study the diagnostic value of measuring blood concentrations of interleukin 6 and interferon gamma was established. In the present study the value of blood concentrations of interleukin 8, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and lactoferrin as markers of bacteraemic pneumonia is evalua...

BACKGROUND Even though the pathogenicity and invasiveness of pneumococcus largely depend on capsular types, the impact of serotypes on post-viral pneumococcal pneumonia is unknown. METHODS AND FINDINGS This study was performed to evaluate the impact of capsular serotypes on the development of pneumococcal pneumonia after preceding respiratory viral infections. Patients with a diagnosis of pne...

BACKGROUND The number of pneumonia patients increased suddenly in Korean military hospitals in late December 2014, indicating the urgent need for an epidemic outbreak investigation. METHODS We conducted a prospective study of pneumonia etiology among immunocompetent young adults admitted to Daejeon Armed Forces hospital. Patient blood and sputum samples were subjected to conventional culture,...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Whether the causative organism influences the clinical course of pneumonia in the intensive care unit (ICU) is controversial. We assessed the clinical manifestations and prognosis of pneumonia according to the causative pathogens in patients in a medical ICU. METHODS A retrospective observational study was performed in a medical ICU. Among 242 patients who were admitted to the...

This report presents the cases of three patients with fatal pneumonia that was highly suspected to be Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) based on serological diagnosis. Their chest radiographs showed bilateral pneumonia and each had presented with severe respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation when they arrived at the hospital. Although bronchoscopical sampling could not be performed, th...

Pneumonia remains a leading public health concern in Thailand. Using population-based surveillance during January 2004-December 2006, we describe incidence, mortality, and bacterial etiologies of chest radiograph-confirmed pneumonia requiring hospitalization in one rural Thai province. Of 19,316 patients who met the case definition for clinical pneumonia, 9,596 (50%) had a chest radiograph, and...

OBJECTIVE To find out the hospital burden of pneumonia and preventable factors associated with the disease. DESIGN Prospective cross sectional study. SETTING The paediatric ward of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Western Kenya. SUBJECTS All the children admitted to the paediatric wards and found to have clinical features consistent with pneumonia. RESULTS One thousand eight hundre...

BACKGROUND Antibiotic treatment for pneumonia as measured by Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) is a key indicator for tracking progress in achieving Millennium Development Goal 4. Concerns about the validity of this indicator led us to perform an evaluation in urban and rural settings in Pakistan and Bangladesh. METHODS AND FINDINGS Caregivers ...

To evaluate the clinical outcomes of pneumococcal pneumonia caused by antibiotic-resistant strains in Asian countries, we performed a prospective observational study of 233 cases of adult pneumococcal pneumonia in 9 Asian countries from January 2000 to June 2001. Among 233 isolates, 128 (55%) were not susceptible to penicillin (25.3% were intermediately susceptible, and 29.6% were resistant). C...