ABSTRACT
The diagnosis and clinical management of lower respiratory tract infections [LRTI] pose challenges to pediatricians as new technology is developed and new pathogens emerge in the spectrum of clinical diagnosis. This study aimed at rapid diagnosis of atypical lower respiratory tract infections in pediatric patients using Pneumoslide- M test. This study included 55 children with acute LRTI [pneumonia,bronchiolitis and croup[their age ranged from > one month to < two years with the mean age of [12.8 +/- 3.7]. All cases were subjected to complete history taking, thorough clinical examination and laboratory tests which included: Complete blood count, nasopharyngeal aspirates smear and culture. According to the microbiological results the studied patients were classified into two groups: Group I: The caustive pathogen was detected by the conventional microbiological methods,this includes 31 children and Group II: In which the caustive pathogen was not identified by the conventional microbiological methods [Atypical lower respiratory tract infections],this includes 24 children.Cases of group II only were subjected to Pneumoslide-M test. [Indirect immunofluorescence test for detection of serum IgM against respiratory viruses and atypical bacteria]. Pneumoslide M test could identify the causative pathogen in 91.7% [22 out of 24 cases] of group II patients and the diagnosis was as follows: respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] infection in 9 cases [37.5%], parainfluenza viruses [PIV] infection in 5 cases [20.8%], adenovirus infection in 4 cases [16.7%], influenza A virus infection in 3 cases [12.5%]. M. pneumonia infection was detected in only one case [4.2%] and 2 cases [8.3%] remained undiagnosed . Viruses and atypical bacteria constitute almost 43.6% of the causative agents of LRTI in young children especially in winter times. The use of Pneumoslide M test has great value in rapid diagnosis of this infection