On the epidemiology and etiology of pneumonia in adults

In a group of 74 hospitalized patients with the diagnosis of acute infectious pneumonia, the etiological contribution of viral and bacterial agents is analyzed in cases of clarified etiology and an assessment is made of the relationship between the explained etiology and the overall epidemiological situation. Etiology was clarified in 36 patients (48.6%). Viral and bacterial etiology was confirmed in 13.3% and 39.8% of the entire group respectively. In three cases, mixed viral and bacterial infection was reported. Most prominent among the viral agents were herpes simplex, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial and influenza type B viruses. As far as the bacterial agents were concerned, the species most frequently isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and a variety of Enterobacteriaceae. The relationship between the overall epidemiological situation and pneumonia etiology is discussed as well as the relevance of the diagnostic methods employed.