Isolation of pathogenic bacteria from induced sputum from hospitalized children with pneumonia in Bangladesh

A prospective study tvas carried out on 157 patients admitted to a paediatric hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh to determine the bacteria present in the induced sputum of paediatric patients with X-ray proven pneumonia. Their ages ranged from 21 days to II years; 65 per cent of them were male and 35 per cent were female. The most affected age group was between 6 months and 2 years old, Respiratory secretions produced by induced cough were taken by swab from the oropharynx for culture and smear. The predominant bacteria were Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Branhamella catarrhalis and Gram-negative bacilli. Serotyping of H. influenzae revealed that 76 per cent were non-typable and 18 per cent were of type b; 23.5 per cent of isolates of H, influenzae were beta-lactamase producing. MIC90 of penicillin against S. pneumoniae and H, influenzae were 0.025 and 3.13 mu g/ml respectively. Ampicillin, penicillin G (benzylpenicillin), amoxycillin, and gentamicin were administered for the treatment of these patients. All cases were apparently improved, on the basis of clinical evaluation, and discharged from the hospital.