TY - JOUR
T1 - Mycoplasma pneumoniae
T2 - A frequent cause of pneumonia among U.S. Marines in Southern California
AU - Gray, Gregory C.
AU - Putnam, Shannon D.
AU - Duffy, Lynn B.
AU - Reynolds, Richard J.
AU - Paver, Richard J.
AU - Cassell, Gail H.
PY - 1997/8
Y1 - 1997/8
N2 - From August 1993 through April 1994, U.S. Marines (98% male, median age 20 years) who were hospitalized with radiographically confirmed pneumonia were prospectively studied for evidence of acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Overall, 32 (36.4%) of the 88 patients with paired sera had evidence of acute infection by an elevated immunoglobulin M titer (22.7%), a 4-fold rise in immunoglobulin G titer (9.1%), a positive polymerase chain reaction result (11.1%), and/or a positive culture (5.8%). No specific symptoms or clinical findings were strong predictors of M. pneumoniae infection. Among patients with evidence of acute M. pneumoniae infection, admitting clinicians chose other pathogens as more likely etiologic agents 46.4% of the time, and over the course of the hospitalization, 10% of patients failed to receive appropriate antibiotics. These data indicate that M. pneumoniae may cause a high proportion of pneumonias among military personnel and should be considered in empiric treatment and prophylaxis.
AB - From August 1993 through April 1994, U.S. Marines (98% male, median age 20 years) who were hospitalized with radiographically confirmed pneumonia were prospectively studied for evidence of acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Overall, 32 (36.4%) of the 88 patients with paired sera had evidence of acute infection by an elevated immunoglobulin M titer (22.7%), a 4-fold rise in immunoglobulin G titer (9.1%), a positive polymerase chain reaction result (11.1%), and/or a positive culture (5.8%). No specific symptoms or clinical findings were strong predictors of M. pneumoniae infection. Among patients with evidence of acute M. pneumoniae infection, admitting clinicians chose other pathogens as more likely etiologic agents 46.4% of the time, and over the course of the hospitalization, 10% of patients failed to receive appropriate antibiotics. These data indicate that M. pneumoniae may cause a high proportion of pneumonias among military personnel and should be considered in empiric treatment and prophylaxis.
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U2 - 10.1093/milmed/162.8.524
DO - 10.1093/milmed/162.8.524
M3 - Article
C2 - 9271902
AN - SCOPUS:0030734177
SN - 0026-4075
VL - 162
SP - 524
EP - 526
JO - Military medicine
JF - Military medicine
IS - 8
ER -