Nosocomial respiratory infections in patients with bronchial asthma

Aim. To study incidence and causes of nosocomial respiratoty infection (NRI)and its influence on clinical manifestations of bronchial asthma (BA). Material and methods. 5212 inpatients of the pulmonary department were examined from 1994 to 2000. Results. NRI was found in 41 of 912 patients with BA (4.5%) compared to 57 of 1287 patients with pneumonia (4.4%) and 72 of 1793 patients with chronic bronchitis (4%). In BA patients NRI was represented by acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI) in 39 cases and by nosocomial pneumonia (NP) of candidiasis genesis in 3 cases. ARVI occurred more frequently in winter (37516), less frequently in spring (23516), autumn (23%) and summer (17916). During outbreaks, ARVI affected 11.7% BA patients, but out of outbreaks only 1.5%. A R VI occurred twice more frequently in patients with atopic and severe BA, 3.5 times more frequently in using inhalatory glucocorticoids in the course of treatment, and much more often in case of using these systematically. Mycoplasmic pneumonia was detected in 114 of ARVI patients. Conclusion. NRI was detected in 4.5% patients with BA. NRI was represented by ARVI (4.4%) and by nosocomial pneumonia (0.3%). Mycoplasmic pneumonia was detected in 114 of BA patients with ARVI. ARVI, especially associated with mycoplasmic infection, aggravates the course of BA.