Neumonía adquirida en la comunidad: comunicación de 8 casos de neumonía grave por legionella pneumophila serogrupo 1 en Chile / Community acquired pneumonia: report of 8 cases of severe pneumonia caused by legionella pneumophila seroproup 1 in Chile

Legionella pneumophila is the second cause of severe community acquired pneumonia. In Chile, however, there are few reports of pneumonia caused by Legionella. We report eight patients (6 men, aged 42 to 72 years old) with community-acquired pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1, confirmed by the measurement of urinary antigen. Clinical presentation was characterized by fever or hypothermia (in one case), cough, dyspnea and neurological abnormalities in four patients. Cigarette smoking was the most frequently identified risk factor. All patients had at least one American Thoracic Society severity criteria. Complications observed were acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in seven patients, shock in four, renal failure in four and need for mechanical ventilation in three. No patient died

Neumonía de resolución lenta: presentación de caso clínico y revisión de literatura / Slowly revolving pneumonia: clinical case and review

La neumonía de resolución lenta es una entidad poco conocida que ocurre en aproximadamente un 10 por ciento de las pacientes que ingresan con el diagnóstico de neumonía adquirida en la comunidad. Para discutir esta situación clínica se presenta un caso clínico de un cuadro febril asociado a infiltrado radiológicos pulmonares, que no respondió al tratamiento antibiótico y cuya biopsia reveló una neumonía eosinófila crónica. Frente a un caso de neumonía de lenta resolución, es importante establecer si la evolución clínica es sólo atribuible a una resolución clínica lenta condicionado por su edad, comorbilidad, severidad y germen involucrado o se trata realmente de una progresión de la enfermedad para lo cual deben considerarse microoganismo inhabituales, inmunosupresión u otras causas no infecciosas que expliquen el cuadro clínico como lo es el presente caso

Chlamydia pneumoniae en pacientes con neumonías adquiridas en la comunidad en Santiago de Chile / Incidence of community acquired pneumonia caused by chlamydia pneumoniae in Chilean subjects

Background: The prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection varies according to the population and geografic area studied. Aim: To evaluate the incidence of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in Chilean subjects with community acquired pneumonia. Patients and methods: Between 1995 and 1997, patients with community acquired pneumonia attending two emergency rooms in Santiago, were studied. The diagnosis of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection was based on the detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae specific IgG antibody in samples from both the acute and convalescent phase, using an indirect microimmunofluorescent technique. Evidence of present infection was defined as seroconversion, a significant increase in the titer of the second sample and an initial titer equal or greater than 1/512. Results: During the study period, 160 patients consulted and seven (six male), aged 54ñ27 years old, complied with the diagnostic criteria of present Chlamydia pneumoniae infection. These patients had no special clinical or radiological features. Five of seven patients improved without any specific treatment. Conclusions: Eight percent of this sample of patients with community acquired pneumonia had Chlamydia pneumoniae infection. This agent should be included in the design of empiric treatment schemes, although our results cast doubt on the pathogenic role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in pneumonia