The potentialities and results of the etiologic diagnosis of acute pneumonias

The paper deals with the results of the joint Soviet-Hungarian study for the determination of etiology of acute pneumonias. Study included 617 patients. The bacteriologic and serologic methods were used to reveal the causative agent of the disease. Prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae (33-49%) in the etiologic structure of acute pneumonias was established both in the USSR and Hungary. In many cases pneumonia is also caused by Haemophilus influenzae (21-22%). In 15-31% of the cases the causative agent of pneumonia is gram-negative microorganisms. A protracted course of acute pneumonia is due to the complex associations of microorganisms including S. pneumoniae. A conclusion has been drawn to the effect that the initial antibacterial therapy should be started with administration of antibiotics that act effectively on S. pneumoniae.