Journal article
A bedside assay to detect streptococcus pneumoniae in children with empyema
RE Strachan, A Cornelius, GL Gilbert, T Gulliver, A Martin, T McDonald, GM Nixon, R Roseby, S Ranganathan, H Selvadurai, G Smith, M Soto-Martinez, S Suresh, L Teoh, K Thapa, CE Wainwright, A Jaffé
Pediatric Pulmonology | WILEY | Published : 2011
DOI: 10.1002/ppul.21349
Abstract
Background: Empyema is a complication of pneumonia, commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Aims To validate the utility of an immunochromatographic test for the detection of S. pneumoniae antigen in the pleural fluid of children with empyema. Methods Empyema patients had blood and pleural fluid cultured, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the S. pneumoniae autolysin gene, lytA, in pleural fluid. Pleural fluid was tested using the Binax NOW S. pneumoniae antigen detection assay and compared with lytA PCR results and/or culture in blood or pleural fluid. Results S. pneumoniae was detected by PCR in pleural fluid of 68 of 137 (49.6%) patients, by culture in 11 of 135 (8.1%) ple..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge Dr. Paul Bauret, Mary Jackson, Dr. Carolyn Maclennan, Dr. Karen McKay, Dr. Simon Parsons, Julia Warning. A.J. received an unrestricted grant from GlaxoSmithKline, Belgium. The sponsor had no role in the preparation of the manuscript.