ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE To investigate the pathogenic causes of community acquired pneumonia(CAP) in the elderly and to guide experience antibiotic therapy.METHODS An etiological study was performed on 204 elder patients with CAP in the Cadres Medical Department of Beijing Shijitan Hospital from May 2005 to Apr 2008.The count scores were by CURB-65 scoring system.RESULTS Pathogens were identified in 204 patients: there were Mycoplasma pneumoniae(42,20.6%),Streptococcus pneumoniae(30,14.7%),Haemophilus influenzae(24,11.8%),Chlamydia pneumoniae(17,8.3%),Klebsiella pneumoniae(14,6.9%),Escherichia coli(7,3.4%),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(5,2.5%),Staphylococcus aureus(4,2.0%),Legionella pneumophila(2,1.0%),and Acinetobacter baumannii(1,0.5%).The score,by CURB-65 scoring system,of mixed infected patients was higher than single infections.CONCLUSIONS Atypical pathogens have important role in elderly CAP,the most common pathogenare Gram-negative bacilli,S.aureusand fungi.Mixed infection couldn′t be ignored.