Discovery of occult legionella pneumonia in a long stay hospital: Results of prospective serological survey

Abstract

Pneumonia is the most common infection associated with death in the elderly, and legionellae are known to be a common cause. Legionnaires’ disease was diagnosed by sputum culture and antibody seroconversion in a patient with acute pneumonia, who had been transferred to our hospital from a long stay hospital. As a result we initiated a prospective serological survey of all patients with nosocomial pneumonia in that hospital to determine whether legionella pneumonia was present but undiagnosed. © 1987, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.