European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
-
Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Mar 1996
Early recognition of Streptococcus pneumoniae in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.
The objective of this study was to assess the predictive value of signs, symptoms, and rapidly available laboratory parameters for pneumococci in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). A prospective study on patients with CAP who were admitted to hospital was conducted. Clinical and laboratory data were collected according to a protocol. ⋯ The variables "cardiovascular disease", "acute onset", "pleuritic pain", "gram-positive bacteria in the sputum Gram stain", and "leucocyte count" correctly predicted the cause of CAP in 80% of all cases in both groups. Depending on the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae, posttest probabilities for pneumococcal pneumonia were up to 90%. It is concluded that data on history, together with the result of the Gram stain of sputum and the leucocyte count, can help to distinguish Streptococcus pneumoniae from other pathogens causing CAP.