Journal article
PCR improves diagnostic yield from lung aspiration in malawian children with radiologically confirmed pneumonia
ED Carrol, LA Mankhambo, M Guiver, DL Banda, B Denis, W Dove, G Jeffers, EM Molyneux, ME Molyneux, CA Hart, SM Graham
Plos One | PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE | Published : 2011
Abstract
Background: Accurate data on childhood pneumonia aetiology are essential especially from regions where mortality is high, in order to inform case-management guidelines and the potential of prevention strategies such as bacterial conjugate vaccines. Yield from blood culture is low, but lung aspirate culture provides a higher diagnostic yield. We aimed to determine if diagnostic yield could be increased further by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae b) and viruses in lung aspirate fluid. Methods: A total of 95 children with radiological focal, lobar or segmental consolidation had lung aspirate performed and sent for bacteri..
View full abstractGrants
Awarded by Wellcome Trust
Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship (Grant No. 068026) to EDC. SMG and MEM were recipients of Wellcome Trust funding (core grant 074124/Z/04/Z). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.