Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and the characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae-related community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and parapneumonic pleural effusion (PPE) in children and adolescents.
METHODS
This was a retrospective observational study involving 121 patients with CAP/PPE hospitalized in a tertiary referral hospital between 2000 and 2008, divided into six groups according to the etiologic agent (G1 to G6, respectively): M. pneumoniae with or without co-infection, in 44 patients (group 1); etiologic agents other than M. pneumoniae, in 77 (group 2); M. pneumoniae without co-infection, in 34 (group 3); Streptococcus pneumoniae, in 36 (group 4); Staphylococcus aureus, in 31 (group 5); and M. pneumoniae/S. pneumoniae co-infection, in 9 (group 6).
RESULTS
In comparison with group 2, group 1 showed higher frequencies of females, dry cough, and previous use of beta-lactam antibiotics; longer duration of symptoms prior to admission; and lower frequencies of use of mechanical ventilation and chest tube drainage. In comparison with groups 4 and 5, group 3 showed higher frequencies of previous use of beta-lactam antibiotics and dry cough; longer duration of symptoms prior to admission; a lower frequency of use of chest tube drainage; a higher mean age and a lower frequency of nausea/vomiting (versus group 4 only); and a lower frequency of use of mechanical ventilation (versus group 5 only). M. pneumoniae/S. pneumoniae co-infection increased the duration of symptoms prior to admission.
CONCLUSIONS
In this sample, the prevalence of M. pneumoniae-related CAP/PPE was 12.75%. Although the disease was milder than that caused by other microorganisms, its course was longer. Our data suggest that M. pneumoniae-related CAP and PPE in children and adolescents should be more thoroughly investigated in Brazil.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Vervloet LA, Vervloet VE, Tironi Junior M, Ribeiro JD

Institution

Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil. lvervloet@uol.com.br

Source

Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia : publicaça̋o oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisilogia 38:2 2012 Apr pg 226-36

MeSH

Adolescent
Brazil
Child
Child, Preschool
Community-Acquired Infections
Female
Humans
Infant
Male
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Pleural Effusion
Pneumonia, Mycoplasma
Prevalence
Retrospective Studies

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng por

PubMed ID

22576432