Prospective profile of bacterial pathogens in hospitalized adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia: insights from multiplex real-time PCR and traditional culture techniques

Abstract

Hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is mainly caused by bacteria and plays its role as primary bacteria alone or combined. The study aimed to determine the proportion of bacterial pathogens causing CAP in hospitalized adult patients and to examine the combination of these bacteria. This study was a cross-sectional descriptive design in prospect conducted on 341 adult patients with CAP hospitalized at the Respiratory Department of Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, Nhan Dan Gia Dinh Hospital, and University Medical Center from April 2021 to March 2023. Sputum samples were collected, assessed for reliability (according to the Barlett scale), and transported to Nam Khoa Company’s laboratory to perform traditional culture techniques and multiplex real-time PCR (MPL-rPCR). Male sex and age over 60 were 62.5% and 73.0%, respectively. Bacterial pathogens were detected by MPL-rPCR and traditional culture techniques at rates of 67.7% and 46.0%, respectively (p<0.001). More than one strain of bacteria was commonly found in each sputum. Klebsiella pneumoniae was detected by multiplex real-time PCR and traditional culture techniques at a high rate (18.5% & 13.5%), Acinetobacter baumannii (17.3% & 12.9%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (16.4% & 0.6%), H. influenzae (14.1% & 0.6%) and P. aeruginosa (4.4% & 3.8%). Atypical bacteria were only Mycoplasma, with 6.2%, and occurred as a combined bacteria. The rate of bacterial combination was 77.1%, and two or more combined bacteria was 58.4%. Bacterial pathogens are detected at 67.7% by MPL-rPCR and 46.0% by traditional culture techniques (p<0.001). Bacterial pathogens are multiform and increase in Gram-negative bacilli.