[Microbiology of bronchoalveolar lavage in infants with bacterial community-acquired pneumonia with poor outcome]

BACKGROUND

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most common infectious causes of morbidity and mortality in children <5 years of age. The aim of the study was to clarify the bacterial etiologic diagnosis in infants with CAP.

METHODS

A prospective, cross-sectional and descriptive study in patients 6 months to 2 years 11 months of age with CAP with poor outcome was conducted. Patients were admitted to the Pediatric Pneumology Service and underwent bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), taking appropriate measures during the procedure to limit the risk of contamination.

RESULTS

Aerobic bacteria isolated were Moraxella sp. 23%, Streptococcus mitis 23%, Streptococcus pneumoniae 18%, Haemophilus influenzae 12%, Streptococcus oralis 12%, and Streptococcus salivarius 12%.

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to other reports, we found Moraxella sp. to be a major bacterial pathogen, possibly because of improved detection with bronchoscopy plus BAL.

[Opportunistic bacteria and microbial flora in children with leukemia and neutropenic enterocolitis]

OBJECTIVE

to determine the prevalence of opportunistic microorganisms and microbial flora in neutropenic enterocolitis in oncohematological pediatric patients.

METHODS

a prospective and observational study was done. Patients with diagnosis of acute leukemia and neutropenia were included. Stool cultures were taken to identify microorganisms and microbial flora. A χ(2) test with Yates corrections and Fisher exact test were used in the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

21 patients were included (12 male, 57.1 %). The stool cultures showed that 68 % of microorganisms were Gram-negative. The presence of microorganisms Gram-positive was 20 %, 6 % for Candida sp.; 3 % for Cryptosporidium sp.; and in 3 % were acid fast bacilli. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterobacter sp., and Escherichia coli were presented in pure culture. No association was found between Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms with age, white cell count or pure or mixed cultures.

CONCLUSIONS

although Gram-negative microorganisms were the most frequent, Gram-positive and other microorganisms that are not detected habitually in feces culture were isolated.