[Bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia]. / Neumonía neumocócica bacteriémica.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumonia is the most common bacterial cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children. The reference standard for etiological diagnosis is isolation of S. pneumoniae from blood Since the advent of conjugate vaccines, disease caused by this organism can now be prevented. Many studies have been performed of the global incidence of invasive pneumococcal infections and of pneumococcal meningitis but few studies investigated bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia and its complications in children. OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence, patient characteristics, clinical signs, laboratory data, percentage and days of hospitalization, response to antibiotic treatment, antibiotic resistance, complications and causal serogroups of bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia in our environment in order to estimate requirements for systematic vaccination programs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January 1990 to May 2001, data on all pediatric cases of invasive pneumococcal infections diagnosed in our hospital were collected. Several characteristics of patients with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia were analyzed. Bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia was diagnosed in patients with positive blood or pleural fluid cultures for S. pneumoniae and radiographically evident pulmonary infiltrate. The incidence of both types of pneumonia were determined according to population census data. All S. pneumonia strains were sent to the Pneumococci Reference Laboratory of the Instituto Carlos III in Madrid for serotyping. We estimated the serotype coverage of the pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine according to the serotypes included in this vaccine and their distribution. RESULTS: Forty cases of bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia were diagnosed, yielding an incidence of 17,10 and 5 cases per 10(5) children aged less than 2, 4 and 15 years old respectively. The mean age was 50 months and 43% were aged less than 4 years. Peaks occurred in January, March, April and May. A total of 77.5% of the patients were admitted to hospital and the mean length of stay was 9.2 days. The mean duration of fever was 2 days and was 4.2 days in patients with pleural empyema. All patients presented fever and its mean duration before admission was 4 days. Fifty-eight percent of the patients had cough. Thirty-nine percent appeared generally unwell, vomiting was present in 47% and abdominal pain in 28%. Respiratory auscultation detected rales in 30% of the patients, hypophonesis in 28% and polypnea or dyspnea in 35%. Most patients showed alveolar bilateral infiltrations and 20% had pleural empyema. Seventy-eight percent had WBC counts > 15,000 and 93% showed neutrophilia of > 60%. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were elevated in 77% and 85% of the patients, respectively. Overall, 40% of the isolates showed intermediate susceptibility to penicillin and 5% were resistant. Eighteen percent showed intermediate susceptibility to cefotaxime and 18% were resistant to erythromycin. Thirty-four strains were resistant to erythromycin. Thirty-four strains were serogroups and in children < or = 59 months, 34% of the serogroups were included in the pneumococcal 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. CONCLUSION: The significant morbidity of bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia and the implicated serogroups supports the use of the new heptavalent vaccine in the pediatric age group.

Neumonía neumocócica bacteriémica / Bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia

Antecedentes: Streptococcus pneumoniae es el primer agente causal de neumonía bacteriana adquirida en la comunidad en la infancia. Para su diagnóstico el aislamiento en sangre de S. pneumoniae es el único método válido. Con la aparición de las nuevas vacunas conjugadas antineumocócicas se pueden prevenir estas infecciones. Existen estudios sobre la incidencia global de la enfermedad invasiva neumocócica (EIN) y sobre sus formas más graves como la meningitis, pero muy pocos la neumonía neumocócica bacteriémica (NNB) y sus complicaciones en la infancia. Objetivos: Conocer la incidencia, forma de presentación clínica y analítica, porcentaje y días de ingreso, respuesta al tratamiento antibiótico y resistencia a éstos, complicaciones y serogrupos causales de la NNB en nuestros medio para estimar la necesidad de una vacunación sistemática. Material y métodos: Desde enero de 1990 hasta mayo de 2002 se han recogido todos los casos pediátricos de EIN diagnosticados en nuestro hospital. Del total de estos casos se analizaron diversas características en los pacientes con NNB. Se consideraron NNB los casos con radiología torácica compatible con neumonía y hemocultivo o cultivo de líquido pleural positivo para S. pneumoniae. Se calculó la incidencia, tanto de la EIN como de la NNB, según los datos de población censales. Todas las cepas de S. pneumoniae fueron enviadas para serotipificación al Laboratorio de Referencia de Neumococos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III en Majadahonda (Madrid). Se estimó la cobertura vacunal de la nueva vacuna antineumocócica conjugada heptavalente según los serotipos incluidos en ella y la distribución de los serotipos. Resultados: Se diagnosticaron 40 casos de NNB, lo que representa una incidencia de 17, 10 y 5 casos por 105 niños menores de 2, 4 y 15 años, respectivamente. La edad media fue de 50 meses, siendo el 43% menores de 4 años. El mayor número de casos se dio en enero, marzo, abril y mayo. Ingresaron el 77,5% de los casos y la estancia media fue de 9,2 días. La duración media de la fiebre fue de 2 días y en los pacientes con derrame pleural fue de 4,2 días. Presentaron fiebre todos los casos, siendo su duración media antes del ingreso de 4 días. El 58% de los pacientes tenían tos. El 39% presentaban afectación de su estado general, vómitos el 47% y dolor abdominal el 28%. En la auscultación respiratoria se detectaron estertores en el 30% de los casos, hipofonesis en el 28% y polipnea o disnea en el 35%. En la mayoría de los pacientes se observó un infiltrado alveolar unilateral y el 20% de los casos tenían un derrame pleural. El 78% de los casos tenían una leucocitosis superior a 15.000 y el 93% una neutrofilia mayores de 60%. La velocidad de sedimentación globular y la proteína C reactiva fueron elevadas en el 77 y 85% de los casos, respectivamente. El 40% de las cepas tenían una sensibilidad disminuida a la penicilina y el 5% eran resistentes. El 18% tenían una sensibilidad disminuida a cefotaxima y el 18% eran resistentes a eritromicina. Se serogruparon 34 cepas y en los menores de 59 meses, el 84% de los serogrupos eran los incluidos en la vacuna heptavalente. Conclusión: La importante morbilidad de la NNB y la distribución de los serogrupos implicados apoyaría la utilización de la nueva vacuna heptavalente en esta edad (AU)

[Pneumococcal bacteremia in patients aged over 65 years. A study of 161 cases]. / Bacteriemia neumocócica en pacientes mayores de 65 años. Estudio de 161 casos.

BACKGROUND: Here we present the results from a prospective analysis of pneumococcal bacteremia in patients older than 65 years, highlighting its differences with regard to patients aged from 15 to 64 years. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We performed a prospective follow-up study (1988-1999) of patients older than 14 years whohad blood cultures positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae(S. pneumoniae). S. pneumoniae was identified using standard techniques. The antimicrobial sensitivity was analysed using the broth midrodilution technique and the serotype was studied in a reference laboratory. Statistical analyses were performed by means of the SPSS program, version 9.0. RESULTS: 161 out of 321 bacteremias occurred in 154 patients older than 65 years (86 males). Most frequent underlying diseases were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and neoplasia. Most patients had pneumonia, 29.7% with ilfiltrates involving at least two lung lobes. 9.4% of bacteremias were nosocomial. Among patients older than 65 years, 32.5% of strains were resistant to penicillin, compared to 21.7% in patients younger than 65 years(p = 0.034). Mortality in patients over 65 years was higher than in younger patients (25.3% vs 11.5%; p = 0.002) and mortality predictive factors in a multivariate analysis were age, nosocomial bacteremia and multi-lobe involvement (in patients with pneumonia). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high incidence of pneumococcal bacteremia in patients over 65 years of age. These patients have a higher rate of resistance to penicillin and a higher mortality rate than younger patients. Mortality predictive factors are age, nosocomial bacteremia and multi-lobe involvement.