PREVALENCE OF PNEUMONIA DUE TO LEGIONELLA-PNEUMOPHILA AND MYCOPLASMA-PNEUMONIAE IN A POPULATION ADMITTED TO A DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL-MEDICINE

We studied 177 patients with pneumonia admitted to an internal medicin e department over a period of 3 years to determine the incidence of tw o emerging pathogens, Legionella pneumophila and Mycoplasma pneumoniae . Clinical, radiological and laboratory tests were performed and inclu ded blood cultures, serology, gram staining and sputum cultures. L. pn eumophila was the agent involved in 9 patients (5.1%) and M. pneumonia e in 12 (6.8%). These prevalences were about in the middle of the rang e of previously published figures. Legionella pneumonia is a rare illn ess, which even in the absence of suggestive clinical signs must be co nsidered because of its possibly serious course and to allow appropria te therapeutic decisions to be made.