Prevalence of Bacterial Lower Respiratory Tract Infections at a Tertiary Hospital in Jordan

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that LRTIs are the most common global cause of death from infectious diseases. However, the specific etiologic agent associated with LRTI is often unknown. We determined the bacterial infections and seasonal patterns associated with LRTIs among hospitalized cases at Jordan University Hospital (JUH) for a period of five years. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multi-year study among hospitalized patients in Jordan on LRTI-associated bacterial etiology. Results: We found bacterial infections among 105 (21.1%) out of 495 LRTI patients. The most frequently identified bacteria in the LRTI patients were Staphylococcus aureus (7.7%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.1%). Most of the LRTI patients (95.2%) had at least one chronic disease and many were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (16.8%). Of the 18(3.64%) patients with LRTIs who died at the hospital, 2 had a bacterial infection. We noticed a seasonal pattern of bacterial infections, with the highest prevalence during the winter months. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early identification of bacterial agents and control of chronic disease may improve clinical management and reduce morbidity and mortality from LRTIs. Prevalence of Bacterial Lower Respiratory Tract Infections at a Tertiary Hospital in Jordan Nathir Obeidat1, Isam Bsisu2, Faruque Parvez3, Zafrin Islam4, Zaina Obeidat5,Mai Altous6, Mohammed N. Obeidat7, Nidaa Ababneh8, Ayman Wahbeh5, Randa Farah5 1 Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan. 2 Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. 3 Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY USA. 4 Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. 5 Internal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. 6 Interventional Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center, Amman, Jordan. 7 School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. 8 Cell Therapy Center, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. Contact information: