[Clinical and epidemiologic features of acute respiratory infection caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae]

Abstract

The results of clinical and laboratory analysis and treatment, as well as epidemiological features of acute respiratory infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae in 390 patients have been reported. The patients were treated at the University Hospital of Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1985. The diagnosis was established by the serologic method of complement fixation, on the grounds of fourfold increase or decrease of antibody titer in paired sera. Mycoplasma pneumoniae was the most frequently proved causative agent of acute respiratory infections in our admitted patients. There were 315 patients with pneumonia what makes 13.28% of all pneumonias, respectively 25.08% of nonbacterial pneumonias. Its participation in febrile respiratory catarrh syndrome was only 5.75%. Pneumonia occurred in schoolchildren most frequently, especially in those aged 10-14 years in whom 65.52% of nonbacterial pneumonias were connected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Men (230) were affected more frequently than women (160). The main symptoms of pneumonia were temperature, headache and cough. Inflammatory infiltrates were mostly interstitial and located unilaterally in the lower lobes of the lungs. Pleural effusion was recorded in 24 patients (7.62%). Doxycycline appeared to be the most effective antibiotic, but erythromycin and midecamycin yielded good results, as well.