Patients’ history, clinical findings may limit diagnostic investigations for recurrent CAP

DENVER — When recurrent community-acquired pneumonia occurs, it is possible to limit diagnostic investigations by evaluating a patient’s history and clinical findings, according to data presented here at the 2013 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

“[Recurrent community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)] is not rare in children,” Susanna Esposito, MD, of the University of Milan, and colleagues wrote. “Particularly when recurrent CAPs occur in different lung areas, identification of favoring factors is difficult and this leads to a complex diagnostic approach. The aim of this case-control study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of children with recurrent CAP in [different lung areas] and compare them with those of children who had never experienced CAP in order to contribute to identifying the best approach to such patients.”

Susanna Esposito

The study included 146 children with two or more episodes of radiographically confirmed CAP in different lung areas in a single year or three or more episodes in any time frame with clearing of densities between occurrences.

Researchers found significant differences between these children and 145 matched control participants for gestational age at birth (P=.003), birth weight (P=.006), respiratory distress at birth (P<.001) and age when starting day care (P<.001).

“The diagnostic approach to children with recurrent CAP in [different lung areas] is relatively easy in the developed world, where identifying the severe chronic underlying diseases favoring recurrent CAP is usually precocious, and patients with chronic underlying disease are diagnosed before the occurrence of recurrent CAP in [different lung areas],” researchers wrote. “When recurring CAP in [different lung areas] does occur, an evaluation of the patients’ history and clinical findings make it possible to limit diagnostic investigations.”

For more information:

Esposito S. Abstract G-1240. Presented at: ICAAC 2013; Sept. 9-13, 2013; Denver.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.