Asian Study on the Role of Atypical Respiratory Pathogens in Community-acquired Pneumonia

摘要

Establishing the prevalence of atypical respiratory pathogens in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Asia has been handicapped by a general lack of diagnostic facilities and the use of different diagnostic criteria. In this study to determine rates of infection with atypical pathogens in 1756 patients with clinically diagnosed CAP at 12 medical centers in Asia, standardized laboratory techniques and interpretation criteria were used in all centers. Etiological diagnosis was based on seroconversion or significant changes in antibody titer, or the presence of persisting high antibody titers together with the presence of bacterial DNA in respiratory secretions or bacterial antigen in urine.