Transtracheal aspiration was performed in 60 patients who presented with respiratory symptoms and were not yet treated with antibiotics. The transtracheal aspirates were bacteriologically positive in 40 patients. Haemophilus parainfluenzae only was isolated in 5 patients (12.5%). The diagnosis in 5 patients with H. parainfluenzae isolated purely from transtracheal aspirates were pneumonia in 2 cases and lower airway infection in 3 cases. In all patients, response to treatment with penicillin was good.
The antibiotic disc sensitivity studies showed H. parainfluenzae isolated from transtracheal aspirates to be sensitive to penicillins and aminoglycosides and to be resistant to cephalosporins and erythromycin. These results show that the role of H. parainfluenzae in respiratory tract infections is important.
