Bacteriologic Diagnosis of Acute Pneumonia

Bacteriologic analysis was performed on sputum, transtracheal aspirate (TA), and direct-needle aspirate of the lung (LA) obtained concurrently in each of 25 adult Navajo Indian patients with acute, community-acquired pneumonia. Although sputum reflected the organisms isolated from LA as frequently as did TA, multiple potential pathogens were recovered from all but five sputum specimens and from 27% of TA. Data collected suggest frequent tracheal contamination with potential pathogens and occasional multiple bacterial isolates from the LA of patients with acute pneumonia. Lung aspiration yielded single, definitive isolations more frequently than other sampling techniques did. (JAMA235:158-163, 1976)