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Metabolism: The Role of Haemophilus lnfluenzae in Lower Respiratory Infections in Childhood
Author(s) -
Uehara Suzuko,
Terashima Itaru,
Nakamura Akira,
Kurosaki Tornomichi,
Sugaya Naoko,
Okimoto Yuri,
Himi Kyoko
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-200x.1985.tb00621.x
Subject(s) - medicine , haemophilus influenzae , sputum , bronchitis , ampicillin , pneumonia , etiology , chronic bronchitis , respiratory tract infections , incidence (geometry) , respiratory system , respiratory tract , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , immunology , tuberculosis , pathology , biology , physics , optics
In pediatrics, the offending microorganisms in lower respiratory infections have not yet been established. Our data based on 1,898 patients with lower respiratory tract disorders in children (1965–1979) demonstrated that washed sputum is of practical value in establishing the etiological diagnosis of bronchopulmonary infections in children. The criteria for the determination of the dominant or offending pathogens are presented. H. influenzae was found to be the leading organism, especially in patients having a recurrent or protracted course: its incidence was 64.1% in chronic bronchitis, 24.5% in recurrent or protracted bronchitis, 21.7% in pneumonia and 15.0% in acute bronchitis. H. influenzae seemed most significant in aggravating the signs and symptoms accompanying the infection. Recent bacteriological study of washed sputum (1980–1981) revealed an increasing frequency of H. influenzae as a causative agent. Ampicillin‐resistant H. influenzae strains have been demonstrated since 1976, and constituted 13.5% of 154 strains, while chloramphenicol‐resistant strains remained at 2.5% in 1982. The biotypes of ampicillin‐sensitive and resistant strains included not only types I and II but types III to v.