Prevalence of Bacterial Lower Respiratory Tract Infections at a Tertiary Hospital in Jordan
Abstract
Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that LRTI are the most common global cause of death from infectious diseases. However, the specific etiologic agent associated with LRTI is often unknown.
Aims: We determined the bacterial infections and seasonal patterns associated with LRTI among hospitalized cases at Jordan University Hospital (JUH) for a period of five years.
Methods: We conducted a multi-year study among hospitalized patients in Jordan on LRTI-associated bacterial etiology.
Results: We found bacterial infections among 105 (21.1%) out of 495 LRTI patients. The most frequently identified bacteria in the LRTI patients were Staphylococcus aureus (7.7%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.1%). Most of the LRTI patients (95.2%) had at least one chronic disease and many were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (16.8%). Of the 18 (3.64%) patients with LRTI who died at the hospital, 2 had a bacterial infection. We noticed a seasonal pattern of bacterial infections, with the highest prevalence during the winter months.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early identification of bacterial agents and control of chronic disease may improve clinical management and reduce morbidity and mortality from LRTI.
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