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 paediatr ic hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh to determine the bacteria present in the i nduced sputum of paediatric patients with X-ray proven pneumonia. Their age s 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 y ears old, Respiratory secretions produced by induced cough were taken by sw ab 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 iso lates of H, influenzae were beta-lactamase producing. MIC90 of penicillin a gainst S. pneumoniae and H, influenzae were 0.025 and 3.13 mu g/ml respecti vely. Ampicillin, penicillin G (benzylpenicillin), amoxycillin, and gentami cin were administered for the treatment of these patients. All cases were a pparently improved, on the basis of clinical evaluation, and discharged fro m the hospital.