Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of childhood mortality, with diverse etiologies. This study aimed to generate region-specific data to inform treatment and vaccination strategies for childhood CAP. Methods: We enrolled 226 CAP cases and 201 controls (<5 years) at Dhaka Medical College 86% of pneumococci were macrolide nonsusceptible. Among Staphylococcus aureus , 76% (31/41) were methicillin-resistant. C-reactive protein and procalcitonin were elevated in severe CAP cases; however, no definitive cutoff threshold distinguished bacterial from viral causes. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the current epidemiology of childhood CAP in Dhaka, Bangladesh, identifying high antimicrobial resistance and predominance of non-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine-10 serotypes. These results underscore the need for continued pneumococcal surveillance to guide vaccine and treatment strategies and strengthened approaches for addressing antimicrobial resistance.
Kar et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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