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Microbiological considerations of the etiological agents of lower respiratory tract infections.

One hundred eight-four sputum specimens from the same number of patients with lower respiratory tract infections were examined to determine the bacterial count and the relationship between the microorganisms isolated and the presumptive pathology. The sputa were subdivided into three groups; "high probability", "low probability", and "contaminated sputa", following the criteria of the microscopic readings: sputum with more than 25 white cells and low numbers of squamous epithelial cells represents true lower respiratory tract infections (high probability); those with fewer than 25 white cells represent non-bacterial infections or non-infected sputa (low probability) while sputa with more than 25 squamous cells per field represent contaminated specimens (contaminated sputa). Statistical analysis was carried out to correlate these data. Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes showed significant differences in the three groups considered.

Gram-Negative Bacteria↗

Serologic study of febrile upper respiratory tract infections in adults.

We prospectively studied serum antiviral antibody response in adult patients with febrile upper respiratory tract infections. Paired sera were obtained in 158 patients from January 1982 to December 1983. Eighteen patients (11.4 percent) showed a significant antibody rise in the convalescent phase of the disease compared to the acute phase. Significant antibody rise was observed against all viruses examined: influenza viruses type A and B, adenovirus type 3, respiratory syncytial virus, and parainfluenza viruses type 1, 2 and 3. Two patients responded simultaneously to two viruses. Serum interferon was detected in acute phase of the disease in 4 of 8 patients examined in whom viral infections were proved. Detected interferon was alpha type.

Adenovirus Infections, Human↗

Multicentered clinical evaluation of cefoperazone for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections.

Adult patients with bacterial infections of the lower respiratory tract were given either cefoperazone or cefamandole in a multicenter clinical study of the clinical and bacteriologic efficacy of cefoperazone. Clinical diagnoses included pneumonia, bronchitis, lung abscess, and bronchiectasis. Efficacy was evaluated in 119 patients given cefoperazone and 73 patients given cefamandole. Major pathogens isolated included Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Satisfactory clinical responses were noted for 96% of the patients in both treatment groups, including 14 of 17 patients given cefoperazone who were primarily infected with P. aeruginosa. Satisfactory bacteriologic responses were noted for 88% of the group given cefoperazone and 89% of the group given cefamandole. Adverse reactions related to the antibiotic occurred infrequently in each treatment group. The results of this study indicate that cefoperazone is a safe and effective antibiotic for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections due to S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, S. aureus, and many gram-negative bacilli, including susceptible strains of P. aeruginosa, in adult patients.

Adult↗

Effect of daily vitamin E and multivitamin-mineral supplementation on acute respiratory tract infections in elderly persons: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Immune response in elderly individuals has been reported to improve after micronutrient supplementation. However, efficacy trials evaluating infectious diseases as outcomes are scarce and inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of daily multivitamin-mineral and vitamin E supplementation on incidence and severity of acute respiratory tract infections in elderly individuals. DESIGN: A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, 2 x 2 factorial trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 652 noninstitutionalized individuals aged 60 years or older enrolled from 2 community-based sampling strategies in the Wageningen area of the Netherlands, conducted from 1998 to 2000. At baseline, 6% of participants had suboptimal ascorbic acid and 1.3% had suboptimal alpha-tocopherol plasma concentration. INTERVENTION: Physiological doses of multivitamin-minerals, 200 mg of vitamin E, both, or placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence and severity of self-reported acute respiratory tract infections at 15 months, as assessed by a nurse (telephone contact), home visits, and microbiological and serological testing in subsets of patients. RESULTS: During a median observation period of 441 days, 443 (68%) of 652 participants recorded 1024 respiratory tract infection episodes. The incidence rate ratio of acute respiratory tract infection for multivitamin-mineral supplementation was 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.75-1.15; P =.58) and for vitamin E supplementation, 1.12 (95% confidence interval, 0.88-1.25; P =.21). Severity of infections was not influenced by multivitamin-mineral supplementation. For vitamin E vs no vitamin E, severity was worse: median (interquartile range) for illness-duration was 19 (9-37) vs 14 (6-29) days, P =.02; number of symptoms, 6 (3-8) vs 4 (3-8), P =.03; presence of fever, 36.7% vs 25.2%, P =.009; and restriction of activity, 52.3% vs 41.1%, P =.02. CONCLUSIONS: Neither daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation at physiological dose nor 200 mg of vitamin E showed a favorable effect on incidence and severity of acute respiratory tract infections in well-nourished noninstitutionalized elderly individuals. Instead we observed adverse effects of vitamin E on illness severity.

Acute Disease↗

Breastfeeding, maternal smoking and lower respiratory tract infections.

The objective of the study was to assess the relationship between breastfeeding and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) during the first year of life, with special reference to maternal smoking. A cohort of 3,754 children born in 1992-1993 in the City of Oslo, Norway was recruited and data were collected at birth, 6 and 12 months of age. Complete information was obtained from 3,238 children (follow-up rate 86%). The main outcome was an episode of a LRTI, such as pneumonia, bronchitis or bronchiolitis, based on a self-administered questionnaire addressed to parents when the child was 6 and 12 months old. The outcome was specified as physician-diagnosed. In logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounding, maternal smoking increased the risk of LRTIs in children breastfed for 0-6 months (odds ratio (AOR) 1.7; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.2-2.4), but not essentially when the child was breastfed for more than 6 months (AOR 1.1; 95% CI 0.7-1.6). Short-term breastfeeding (0-6 months) and no maternal smoking was related to an adjusted AOR of LRTIs of 1.3 (95% CI 1.0-1.7), and short-term breastfeeding combined with maternal smoking was related to an adjusted AOR of 2.2 (95% CI 1.6-3.1), as compared with long-term breastfeeding and no maternal smoking. The present study indicates a protective effect of long-term breastfeeding on the risk of lower respiratory tract infection during the first year of life. The results suggest that the protective effect is strongest in children exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.

Adult↗

Clinical experience with moxifloxacin in patients with respiratory tract infections.

BACKGROUND: Moxifloxacin is an advanced-generation fluoroquinolone used primarily for the treatment of respiratory tract infections. OBJECTIVE: To further investigate moxifloxacin's general and cardiac safety and evaluate its efficacy in the community practice setting in a large surveillance study. METHODS: A total of 18,409 outpatients with suspected bacterial episodes of acute sinusitis, acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, or community-acquired pneumonia of mild to moderate severity were enrolled at 3377 community practice sites. Patients with sinusitis or pneumonia received once-daily oral moxifloxacin 400 mg for 10 days; those with bronchitis received 5 days' treatment. At follow-up, within 48 hours after the end of treatment, adverse event information was collected. An external safety committee assessed possible cardiac-related events. Efficacy was also evaluated at follow-up via the degree of resolution of clinical signs and symptoms. RESULTS: Of 18,374 safety-valid patients, 17.7% experienced adverse events and 14.3% experienced drug-related adverse events. The most common drug-related adverse events were nausea (5.3%), diarrhea (2.2%), and dizziness (2.0%). There was no clinical evidence of increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias with moxifloxacin treatment. Of 17,137 patients included in the efficacy analysis, 92.9% overall experienced clinical cure or improvement (92.8% with sinusitis, 92.9% with bronchitis, 94.1% with pneumonia). CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily oral moxifloxacin 400 mg was shown to be safe and effective in this trial for the treatment of respiratory tract infections of suspected bacterial origin in the clinical practice setting.

Adolescent↗

Local interferon-gamma levels during respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract infection are associated with disease severity.

To investigate the role of cell-mediated immunity during respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-10 levels in nasopharyngeal secretions were measured in infants with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) caused by RSV. A novel technique was used to measure in vivo cytokine levels in nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs). Cytokine levels in the NPAs of 17 mechanically ventilated infants and 43 nonventilated hospitalized infants were compared. As expected, mechanically ventilated infants were significantly younger than nonventilated infants (7 vs. 14 weeks). IFN-gamma levels were above the limit of detection in the NPAs of 3 (18%) mechanically ventilated infants and in the NPAs of 26 (60%) nonventilated infants. IL-10 levels in the NPAs of mechanically ventilated and nonventilated infants were comparable. It is hypothesized that maturation-related mechanisms have a key role in the development of RSV LRTI that results in mechanical ventilation.

Age Factors↗

Prospective population-based study of viral lower respiratory tract infections in children under 3 years of age (the PRI.DE study).

UNLABELLED: Population-based incidence data from Europe on the disease burden of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) due to respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV), parainfluenza viruses (PIV) and influenzaviruses (IV) are lacking, especially with respect to the disease burden. In a 2-year prospective multicentre study of children aged <3 years in Germany, we registered population-based cases as outpatients (n=2386), inpatients (n=2924), and nosocomially-acquired (n=141). Nasopharyngeal secretions were tested for viral RNA. The annual incidence for physician visits per 100 children for all LRTI was 28.7, RSV 7.7, PIV 3.8 and IV 1.1. Annual hospitalisation rates per 10(5) children were for all LRTI 2941, RSV 1117, PIV 261 and IV 123. Annual nosocomial cases per 10(5) hospital days were for all LRTI 79, RSV 29, PIV 9 and IV 1.5. All five children (0.27%) who died had an underlying disease and four were nosocomially acquired. CONCLUSION: Hospitalisation rates due to lower respiratory tract infections in healthy children were similar to those reported elsewhere; the rates for outpatient visits were approximately ten times higher.

Child, Preschool↗

[Susceptibility of bacteria isolated from patients with lower respiratory tract infections to antibiotics (1986)].

Enlisting the help of various research institutions across the nation, Ikemoto et al. have been pooling cultures of clinical isolates of respiratory tract infections and mapping out the correlations between patient backgrounds and the causative bacteria and the changes in the sensitivity spectra of the bacteria to various antibacterial and antibiotic agents annually since 1981. The following is a report of the 1986 findings. During the period from September, 1986 to March, 1987, 558 cases of respiratory infections were reported at 17 institutions across the nation and a total of 657 apparent causative strains were isolated from sputum samples. Of these strains, 75 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 108 of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 150 of Haemophilus influenzae, 107 of Pseudomonas aeruiginosa (non-mucoid production type), 21 of P. aeruginosa (mucoid production type), 32 of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 8 of Escherichia coli, and 55 of Branhamella catarrhalis were subjected to MIC determination of various antibacterial and antibiotic agents to map drug sensitivities. In addition, diagnoses, age distributions by diagnoses, frequencies of infectious diseases, types of isolated bacteria, and usage statuses of the antibacterial and antibiotic agents the times of at isolation were also investigated. MIC determinations were carried out to investigate susceptibilities of causative organisms of respiratory tract infections to various antibacterial and antibiotic agents. From the 558 cases of respiratory tract infections, 657 strains were detected at concentrations not less than 10(4-6)/ml and identified to be the causative organisms. Of these strains, 603 could be used for MIC determination. An overwhelming majority of major causative bacteria, inclusive of H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae, showed sensitivity patterns similar to the sensitivity patterns found a year earlier, P. aeruginosa alone, however, showed some increase in its susceptibility to penicillin and cephem antibiotics. Regarding patient backgrounds, the age distribution was heavily biased towards the higher end of the scale, which patients with ages of 50 or higher accounting for 77.9%, compared to 73.5% in 1985. When the patients were classified by diagnoses, chronic bronchitis, bacterial pneumonia and bronchiectasis accounted for the majority of the infections: 28.7%, 23.3%, and 19.0%, respectively. The percentages of chronic bronchitis and bacterial pneumonia 28.7% and 23.3%, respectively, were somewhat higher in 1986 than in 1985. The disease which was comparatively frequent in all age groups was bronchiectasis, which accounted for 44.0% in patients with ages 29 years or lower, 18.4% in patients between 30 years and 69 years, and 16.7% in patients with ages 70 years or higher. The next most frequent infection was bacterial pneumonia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[A comparative study between cefpirome (CPR) and ceftazidime (CAZ) in respiratory tract infections].

Efficacy and safety of a new injectable cephem antibiotic, cefpirome sulfate (hereafter, CPR), against respiratory tract infections were examined and compared with those of a control drug, ceftazidime (hereafter, CAZ). As a rule, CPR 0.5 g twice a day, 1.0 g twice a day, or CAZ 1.0 g twice a day (hereafter CPR 0.5 g group, CPR 1.0 g group, and CAZ group) was administered for 14 days and the following results were obtained. 1. The total number of cases was 470 (155 cases in the CPR 0.5 g group, 160 cases in the CPR 1.0 g group, and 155 cases in the CAZ group). Among them 390 cases were subjected to analyses of clinical efficacy by the efficacy evaluation committee (131 cases in the CPR 0.5 g group, 131 cases in the CPR 1.0 g group and 128 cases in the CAZ group). 2. Efficacy rates determined by the efficacy evaluation committee were 82.4% (108/131) for the CPR 0.5 g group, 81.7% (107/131) for the CPR 1.0 g group, and 83.6% (107/128) for the CAZ group. Efficacy rates determined by the physician in charge were 82.0% (105/128) for the CPR 0.5 g group, 80.5% (99/123) for the CPR 1.0 g group, and 88.5% (108/122) for the CAZ group. No statistically significant difference was observed among the 3 groups. In evaluation of equivalency, clinical efficacy for the CPR 0.5 g group and the CPR 1.0 g group determined by the clinical efficacy evaluation committee was proved to be statistically equivalent to that for the CAZ group. 3. In patients with pneumonia, efficacy rates determined by the efficacy evaluation committee were 87.1% (61/70) for the CPR 0.5 g group, 80.7% (71/88) for the CPR 1.0 g group, and 78.9% (56/71) for the CAZ group. Efficacy rates determined by the physician in charge were 85.3% (58/68) for the CPR 0.5 g group, 80.7% (67/83) for the CPR 1.0 g group, and 86.2% (56/65) for the CAZ group and no statistically significant difference was observed among the 3 groups. In patients with chronic respiratory tract infection, efficacy rates determined by the efficacy evaluation committee were 77.0% (47/61) for the CPR 0.5 g group, 83.7% (36/43) for the CPR 1.0 g group, and 89.5% (51/57) for the CAZ group. Efficacy rates determined by the physician in charge were 78.3% (47/60) for the CPR 0.5 g group, 80.0% (32/40) for the CPR 1.0 g group, and 91.2% (52/57) for the CAZ group. No statistically significant difference was observed among the 3 groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Abnormality of an index of alveolar-capillary barrier permeability associated with respiratory tract infection in the rat.

The study investigated the role of subclinical respiratory tract infection in producing an abnormality of lung function assessed by measuring an index of the permeability of the blood-gas barrier to 99mTcDTPA. Pasteurella pneumotropica was grown from throat swabs taken from 9 female rats age 10 weeks at the time of the experiment and housed under conventional husbandry conditions for 4 weeks previously. There was a significant association between the amount of bacteriological growth and an abnormality of the index of permeability. In contrast to this finding, there was no bacterial growth and no abnormality of function found in 12 female rats age 6 weeks, kept under strict barrier-maintained conditions. This finding emphasises the need for great care to be taken in the husbandry of animals used in scientific research.

Animals↗

Cefoperazone in lower respiratory tract infections.

17 hospitalised patients with a wide variety of common lower respiratory tract infections received at least 6 days of intravenous bolus cefoperazone 1.0g 12-hourly. Disease was caused by Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and mixed anaerobes in 1 patient. All isolates were sensitive to cefoperazone. 11 patients were cured, 4 improved, and 2 failed (1 of whom had an anaerobic empyema). Toxicity and side effects were infrequent. In general cefoperazone was effective therapy for these infections.

Adult↗

[Antimicrobial activities of cefetamet against clinically isolated strains from community acquired respiratory tract infections. Part III].

Antimicrobial activities of cefetamet (CEMT) against clinically isolated strains from patients with community acquired respiratory tract infections were investigated in comparison with those of other oral beta-lactam antibiotics during the period from January to March, 1998. The results are summarized as follows; 1. CEMT showed strong antimicrobial activities against three major pathogens causing community acquired respiratory tract infections, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. However, antimicrobial activities of CEMT against penicillins (PCs)-intermediate S. pneumoniae (PISP) and PCs-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP) were slightly weaker than those of some of the reference antibiotics. 2. No chronological changes of CEMT-MIC level were observed in the antimicrobial activities against S. pyogenes, H. influenzae, Moraxella subgenus Branhamella catarrhalis or Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae. In contrast to this, due to the increase of PISP and PRSP strains, resistance to CEMT appears increasing with time.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Cefixime in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections and otitis media.

An increasing number of clinical failures has been noted after treatment of upper respiratory tract infection and acute otitis media with conventional antibiotics. At present, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) are the bacterial pathogens most frequently responsible for these infections. Although GABHS has so far not developed penicillin resistance, the frequency of bacteriological failures with either benzathine penicillin or penicillin V has increased. Firstly, a number of hypotheses have been put forward to explain this, including poor patient compliance and inactivation by beta-lactamase-producing oropharyngeal flora. Secondly, this has added to the demand for new agents to treat resistant streptococci. Cefixime, an orally active third-generation cephalosporin, has attracted considerable attention following the results of numerous clinical studies. Comparative studies between cefixime and conventional antibiotics for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections and otitis media are summarized.

Cefixime↗

Oral purified bacterial extracts in acute respiratory tract infections in childhood: a systematic quantitative review.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) are a common problem in childhood. Some evidence suggests a benefit regarding the prevention of ARTI in children treated with the immunomodulator OM-85 BV (Bronchovaxom). METHODS: We summarised the evidence on the effectiveness of the immunomodulator OM-85 BV in the prevention of ARTI in children. We searched randomised comparisons of oral purified bacterial extracts against inactive controls in children with respiratory tract diseases in nine electronic databases and reference lists of included studies. We extracted salient features of each study, calculated relative risks (RR) or weighted mean differences (WMD) and performed meta-analyses using random-effects models. RESULTS: Thirteen studies (2,721 patients) of low to moderate quality tested OM-85 BV. Patients and outcomes differed substantially, which impeded pooling results of more than two trials. Two studies (240 patients) reporting on the number of patients with less than three infections over 6 month of follow-up in children not in day care showed a trend for benefit RR 0.82 (95% CI, 0.65-1.02). One out of two studies examining the number of children not in day care without infections over 4-6 month reported a significant RR of 0.42 (95% CI, 0.21-0.82) whereas the smaller, second study did not [RR 0.92 (95% CI, 0.58-1.46)]. Two studies reporting the number of antibiotic courses indicated a benefit for the intervention arm [WMD 2.0 (95% CI, 1.7-2.3)]. Two out of the three studies showed a reduction of length of episodes of 4-6 days whereas a third study showed no difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Evidence in favour of OM-85 BV in the prevention of ARTI in children is weak. There is a trend for fewer and shorter infections and a reduction of antibiotic use.

Child↗

Azlocillin in respiratory tract infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in children with cystic fibrosis.

In 5 children with cystic fibrosis, 13 courses of lower respiratory infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa were treated with azlocillin, 100--200 mg/kg body weight intravenously every 8 h for 10--15 days. The clinical course during azlocillin treatment was more favourable than had been the case previously in the same patients when treated with combinations of carbenicillin and aminoglycosides. No side effects ascribable to azlocillin were observed, although one allergic reaction occurred, but this was probably elicited by another allergen. Upon repeated courses of treatment, the minimum inhibitory concentration of the infecting organisms increased steadily against both azlocillin and carbenicillin. It is concluded that azlocillin represents an important alternative in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections due to P. aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Adolescent↗

[Respiratory tract infections caused by Branhamella catarrhalis in outpatients with pneumoconiosis].

To investigate the occurrence of Branhamella catarrhalis respiratory tract infections in 109 outpatients with pneumoconiosis, clinical and bacteriological studies were performed during a 4-year period from April 1984 to March 1988. B. catarrhalis was isolated in 26 patients; only three of these received continuous corticosteroid treatment. The incidence of B. catarrhalis respiratory tract infections increased gradually during the years 1984-1986, but decreased for the first time in 1987 compared with the previous year. There was a seasonal variation in isolations with a peak incidence during the winter, a pattern in contrast to Haemophilus influenzae. Almost all isolates produced beta-lactamase. B. catarrhalis found in mixed culture was usually in association with H. influenzae or Streptococcus pneumoniae. The isolation rates for B. catarrhalis in sputum of patients with pneumoconiosis followed those of H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae, and almost all strains were positive for beta-lactamase, so B. catarrhalis should be admitted that it is a primary pathogen.

Adult↗