Distribution of pathogens causing nosocomial infection in patients with bronchial asthma

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze nosocomial respiratory infection (NRI) in patients with bronchial asthma. Among the clinical data of 575 asthmatic patients that was collected and analyzed, 52 were diagnosed with NRI. The most common gram-positive bacterial species was Streptococcus pneumoniae, which was detected in 8 patients, whereas the predominant Gram-negative bacteria included Haemophilus influenzae (11 patients), Moraxella catarrhalis (8 patients), and Escherichia coli (7 patients). The simultaneous detection of all strains was predominant in patients older than 65 years of age, whereas the detection rates of S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, E. coli, and M. catarrhalis were predominant in patients younger than 65 years old. The differences in the detection rates were not significant between the male and female groups. From this study, we can conclude that S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, E. coli, and M. catarrhalis are common NRI-causing pathogens, and bacterial infection is the main risk factor for NRI in asthmatic patients.