1994 Volume 68 Issue 10 Pages 1264-1270
We performed transtracheal aspiration (TTA) in 1165 patients, who were suspected to have bronchopulmonary infection, from December 1978 to March 1993. We isolated pathogens from TTA in 806 patients (69.2%). We isolated H. influenzae (62 cases), S. pneumoniae (39 cases) andM. catarrhalis (24 cases) in patients with acute bronchitis, S. pneumoniae (65 cases), a-Streptococcus sp. (52 cases), H. influenzae (32 cases) and S. aureus (29 cases) in patients with pneumonia or lung abscess and H. influenzae (174 cases), S. pneumoniae (84 cases), P. aeruginosa (81 cases) and M. catarrhalis (42 cases) in patients with chronic lower respiratory tract infection. Anaerobic bacteria isolated from TTA included Peptostreptococcus sp. (19 cases), Bacteroides sp. (19 cases) and others. Mycoplasma pneumoniae was isolted from TTA in 8 patients with pneumo-nia without other organisms. Virus isolated from TTA included Rhinovirus (6 cases) and others.
These results suggest that various pathogens affect the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary infection. Therefore, we must diagnose the bronchopulmonary infection by the correct methods such as TTA.