A practical approach estimating etiologic agents using real-time PCR in pediatric inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia Takafumi OkadaMiyuki MorozumiHiroshi SakataReiko TakayanagiNaruhiko Ishiwada • Yoshitake SatoTomohiro OishiTakeshi TajimaTunekazu HarutaNaohisa KawamuraKazunobu Ouchi • Keita MatsubaraNaoko ChibaTakashi TakahashiSatoshi IwataKimiko Ubukata

To evaluate pathogens in pediatric inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), an Acute Respiratory Diseases Study Group organized by ten Japa- nese medical institutions devised a rapid, reliable process based on real-time PCR results in nasopharyngeal swab samples plus admission blood test results. From April 2008 to April 2009, we enrolled 903 children with CAP based on chest radiographs and clinical findings who were hospitalized within 5 days of onset. Comprehensive real- time PCR was used to detect 6 bacteria and 11 respiratory viruses. The swab specimens also were used for bacterial cultures. After initial determination of presence or absence of viral and mycoplasmal infections, significant bacterial contributions were defined by bacterial identification, clinical efficacy of antimicrobial agent, and reference to blood test results. Children were stratified by age: below 1 year, 1 year, 2-5 years, or at least 6 years old. Among patients studied, 34.4 % were diagnosed with viral infec- tion; 21.8 %, bacterial infection; 17.5 %, viral/bacterial