Transtracheal Aspiration Bacteriological Studies of Elderly Pneumonia Cases

• Published in: Nihon Kyōbu Shikkan Gakkai zasshi Vol. 26; no. 11; pp. 1170 - 1176
• Main Authors: Kato, Masahito, Yamamoto, Kazuhide, Takeuchi, Toshihiko, Adachi, Satoru, Suzuki, Kanzo, Yamamoto, Toshiyuki, Ariga, Kenji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan The Japanese Respiratory Society 01.11.1988
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Elderly subjects; Female; Gram's stain; Humans; Male; Pneumonia; Pneumonia - microbiology; Sputum - microbiology; Suction - methods; Transtracheal aspiration (TTA)
• ISSN: 0301-1542; 1883-471X
• DOI: 10.11389/jjrs1963.26.11_1170

To evaluate the causative organisms of pneumonia in the elderly, we studied the organisms in aspirates obtained by transtracheal aspiration (TTA) in 120 pneumonia cases. The transtracheal aspirates were bacteriologically positive in 105 cases (88%). Comparing the organisms obtained by TTA with sputum from another 73 cases with pneumonia, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and K. pneumoniae were detected more in TTA than in sputum. Comparing the species isolated from TTA according to the situation of onset, S. aureus (31%), P. aeruginosa (31%), and K. pneumoniae (21%) were recovered in 61 nosocomial pneumonia case and S. pneumoniae (29%), and H. influenzae (15%) were recovered in pneumonia occurring in nursing homes. From the detection of normal flora in the oral cavity from TTA, we suspect that these were responsible for some participation in aspiration pneumonia in the elderly. Concerning the relationship between the Gram stain interpretation and recovered organisms on the plate from TTA, gram-positive cocci and gram-negative rods corresponded to the Gram stain interpretation in more than 85%. From these results we realize that TTA is a useful method obtain the causative organisms of pneumonia in the elderly, and Gram's stain is a useful technique for deciding on the initiation of antibiotic therapy.