SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.116 issue3Use of ultrasonography as a noninvasive decisive tool to determine the accurate endotracheal tube size in anesthetized childrenNon-nutritive sweeteners: children and adolescent consumption and food sources author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

  • Have no cited articlesCited by SciELO

Related links

  • Have no similar articlesSimilars in SciELO

Share


Archivos argentinos de pediatría

Print version ISSN 0325-0075On-line version ISSN 1668-3501

Abstract

KASSISSE, Elias et al. Prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in pediatric patients with acute asthma exacerbation. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2018, vol.116, n.3, pp.179-185. ISSN 0325-0075.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5546/aap.2018.179.

Introduction. Mycoplasma pneumoniae may be involved in refractory asthma exacerbation. Objective. To determine the prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in patients with acute asthma exacerbation. Material and method. A prospective, crosssectional, observational, case-control study was carried out in patients older than 2 years old and younger than 12. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies were serologically determined for M. pneumoniae, using the NovaLisa® NovaTec kit for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Test results ≥ 11 NTU (NovaTec units) were regarded as positive. The statistical analysis was performed by means of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the χ2 test, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results. One hundred and eighty children were studied, of which 130 had asthma and 50 comprised the control group. Specific IgM was positive for 60 patients, that is 46.15% of the asthmatic children (p < 0.001). The severity of the exacerbation was directly related to IgM levels (p < 0.001). Hospitalization rate was 75%, and it was significantly associated to specific IgM levels (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Our data suggest that children with acute asthma show a high prevalence (46%) of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and that there is a close relation between severe acute asthma exacerbation and the presence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. These findings might result in therapeutic implications centered in the use of specific antibiotics to fight this atypical organism.

Keywords : Acute asthma; Exacerbation; Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish

 

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License