[[[ Background: ]]] A long-standing cough is a common cause for visits to a GP. If the patient also has a respiratory tract infection, one of the concerns of the doctor is to decide if the cough is caused by an underlying bacterial infection. [[[ Objectives: ]]] Our aim was to investigate whether a nasopharyngeal sample, obtained in routine medical practice, could yield information about the aetiology of a long-standing cough in patients with a respiratory tract infection. [[[ Methods: ]]] The prevalence of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis) in nasopharyngeal swab samples from 618 healthy individuals was compared with that from 236 patients with a respiratory tract infection and long-standing cough (>9 days) of the same age in a defined geographical area. [[[ Results: ]]] The proportion of cultures with potentially pathogenic bacteria decreased with age and was 44% among healthy individuals of pre-school age, 13% in schoolchildren and 6% in adults. The corresponding figures for patients with a long-standing cough were 83, 35 and 36%, respectively. All types of potentially pathogenic bacteria were found more frequently in pre-school children and in adults with a long-standing cough compared with healthy individuals of the same age. [[[ Conclusions: ]]] In patients with a respiratory tract infection and a long-standing cough, where a bacterial infection is suspected on clinical grounds, a nasopharyngeal culture could yield information about the aetiology. If M.catarrhalis is found in pre-school children, or if H.influenzae is found in adults, they are likely to be the aetiological agent.
The prevalence of potentially pathogenic bacteria in nasopharyngeal samples from individuals with a long-standing cough–clinical value of a nasopharyngeal sample
지속적인 기침이 있는 개인의 비인두 샘플에서 잠재적으로 병원성 박테리아의 유병률 - 비인두 샘플의 임상적 가치
[Category] 폐렴구균 감염증,
[Article Type] journal-article
[Source] pubmed
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