Clinical, bacteriological and virological study of neonatal pneumonia in Assiut University Hospital [special care baby unit]

ABSTRACT

The subject of the study included. 52 newborns with lower respiratory tract infection admitted to the Special Care Baby Unit, Assiut University Hospital as well as 31 apparently healthy controls. The study included clinical, radiologic, bacteriologic, virologic and blood gas investigations. The results showed that bacterial and viral infections were present in the patients group at almost similar rates [69.2% and 61.4% respectively]. Staph. aureus and Klebsiella species were the two most common bacteria detected [30.56% for each]. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenza were detected in [13.89%] of the examined specimens while Staph. epidermidis was found in [11.1%] of the cases. Viruses detected by immunofluorescence and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay [ELISA] included Respiratory Syncytial Virus [RSV] [34.33%], Influenza B [25%], Parainfluenza [18.75%] and Influenza A [21.87%] with multiple viral infection in some cases. The rate of hypothermia and umbilical sepsis were significantly higher with than without bacterial infection and with pure bacterial infection or mixed bacterial and viral infection than with pure viral infection. Also, the respiratory rate, the retraction score and the respiratory distress score were higher with than without bacterial infection. Band cell number and band cell/neutrophil ratio were significantly higher with bacterial infection. In the 30 cases studied for blood gases, lower mean PaO[2] and higher raft of hypoxemia were found with than without severe disease indicated by high respiratory distress score. Lower PaO[2] and higher PaCO[2] were found with than without combined bacterial and viral infections