The relationship between laboratory evaluations in the separation of viral and bacterial pneumonia in children

Abstract

Abstract Objective Basic infections of the lower respiratory tract (LRT) are bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children. The aim our study that determines the guiding laboratory parameters in discriminating between bacterial and viral LRT infections. Materials and Methods The patients who were diagnosed with LRT infection were divided into four groups based on the findings of chest radiography by radyologist in 2017. Their disease was classified as either viral or bacterial LRT infection in line with these findings. A correlation between chest radiography and laboratory findings was found by comparing c reactive protein (CRP), leukocyte, platelet, hematocrit, neutrophil, lymphocyte, neutrophil / lymphocyte and mean platelet volume (MPV) ratios using statistical methods. Results Of 344 patients included in the study, 43 patients with lober segmental, dense-patched and peribronchial infiltration and 301 patients with patched-peribronchial infiltration or normal radiography were evaluated as bacterial and viral according to the findings of chest radiography, respectively. We found a statistically significant difference in only CRP values between the viral and bacterial groups (p = 0.034). Conclusion It is seen that CRP supports the findings of chest radiography in discrimination of the bacterial cause in community-acquired LRT infections. In children, the elevation in CRP value can be a valuable indicator in supporting bacterial chest radiography finding and deciding to start empirically antibiotic treatment of pneumonia.

Keywords

• antibiyotik
• bronşiyolit
• c reaktif protein
• çocuk
• pnömoni
• antibiotic
• bronchiolitis
• c reactive protein
• children
• pneumonia