Pediatric Parapneumonic Empyema in Spain
Author Information
Author(s): Obando Ignacio, Muñoz-Almagro Carmen, Arroyo Luis A., Tarrago David, Sanchez-Tatay David, Moreno-Perez David, Dhillon Sahar S., Esteva Cristina, Hernandez-Bou Susanna, Garcia-Garcia Juan J., Hausdorff William P., Brueggemann Angela B.
Primary Institution: Virgen del Rocio Children’s Hospital, Seville, Spain
Hypothesis
The study aimed to identify the serotypes and genotypes that cause pediatric parapneumonic empyema (PPE) and relate these data to disease incidence and severity.
Conclusion
The increase in pediatric parapneumonic empyema cases is mainly due to highly invasive nonvaccine serotypes of pneumococci, particularly serotype 1.
Supporting Evidence
- Pneumococci were detected in 79% of culture-positive and 84% of culture-negative samples.
- 48% of the identified serotypes were serotype 1, which is highly invasive.
- The annual number of PPE cases increased 13-fold from 1998 to 2006 in Seville and Malaga.
Takeaway
This study looked at sick kids with a lung infection and found that a specific type of bacteria, called serotype 1, is making them sicker more often.
Methodology
The study prospectively enrolled children with PPE, collected blood and pleural fluid samples, and used molecular diagnostics to identify pneumococcal serotypes.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in PPE surveillance due to reliance on conventional microbiologic culture methods, which may underestimate the contribution of antimicrobial drug-susceptible serotypes.
Limitations
The study period was limited, and it relied solely on serotype identification and MLST genotyping without evaluating other factors that may influence PPE epidemiology.
Participant Demographics
The mean age of participants was 51.8 months, with a gender ratio of approximately 1.06 males to females.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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