The incidence and aetiology of hospitalised community-acquired pneumonia among Vietnamese adults: a prospective surveillance in Central Vietnam

Authors

Kensuke Takahashi, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki UniversityFollow
Motoi Suzuki, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki UniversityFollow
Le Minh, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki UniversityFollow
Nguyen Anh, National Institute of Hygiene and EpidemiologyFollow
Luu Thi Huong, Khanh Hoa General HospitalFollow
Tran Vo Son, Khanh Hoa General HospitalFollow
Phan Long, Khanh Hoa General HospitalFollow
Nguyen Thi Ai, Khanh Hoa General HospitalFollow
Le Tho, Khanh Hoa General HospitalFollow
Konosuke Morimoto, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki UniversityFollow
Paul E. Kilgore, Wayne State UniversityFollow
Dang Anh, National Institute of Hygiene and EpidemiologyFollow
Koya Ariyoshi, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki UniversityFollow
Lay Yoshida, Institute of Tropical MedicineFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Abstract

Background

Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) including Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common infectious disease that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The patterns of aetiological pathogens differ by region and country. Special attention must be paid to CAP in Southeast Asia (SEA), a region facing rapid demographic transition. Estimates burden and aetiological patterns of CAP are essential for the clinical and public health management. The purposes of the study are to determine the incidence, aetiological pathogens, clinical pictures and risk factors of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the Vietnamese adult population.

Methods

A prospective surveillance for hospitalised adult CAP was conducted in Khanh Hoa Province, Central Vietnam. All adults aged ≥15 years with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) admitted to a provincial hospital from September 2009 to August 2010 were enrolled in the study. Patients were classified into CAP and non-pneumonic LRTI (NPLRTI) according to the radiological findings. Bacterial pathogens were identified from sputum samples by the conventional culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis; 13 respiratory viruses were identified from nasopharyngeal specimens by PCR.

Results

Of all 367 LRTI episodes examined, 174 (47%) were CAP. Older age, the presence of underlying respiratory conditions, and higher index score of smoking were associated with CAP. The one-year estimated incidence of hospitalised adult CAP in our study population was 0.81 per 1,000 person years. The incidence increased considerably with age and was highest among the elderly. The case fatality proportion of hospitalised CAP patients was 9.8%. Among 286 sputum samples tested for bacterial PCR, 79 (28%) were positive for H. influenzae, and 65 (23%) were positive for S. pneumoniae. Among 357 samples tested for viral PCR, 73 (21%) were positive for respiratory viruses; influenza A (n = 32, 9%) was the most common.

Conclusions

The current adult CAP incidence in Vietnam was relatively low; this result was mainly attributed to the young age of our study population.

Disciplines

Circulatory and Respiratory Physiology | International Public Health | Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences | Respiratory Tract Diseases

Recommended Citation

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