ABSTRACT
A study was made of the results of cytological, cytochemical (determination of the ratio of ethidium bromide extinction and NTB test) and microbiological studies of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in 125 children with acute pneumonia and 347 with chronic nonspecific inflammatory pulmonary diseases. It has been revealed that all-round studies permit defining the type and activity of endobronchitis together with the status of the ventilated alveolar tissue. Acute pneumonia is marked by catarrhal process with highly active inflammation of bacterial nature, whereas chronic nonspecific inflammatory diseases by purulent endobronchitis. In localized forms of nonspecific inflammatory pulmonary diseases, streptococci and pneumococci may be regarded as the dominant microflora.
