The clinical characteristics of community-acquired pneumonia and effecct of treatment with macrolide antibiotics in children

Objectives To investigate the epidemiology and clinical manifestation of community-acquired pneumonia(CAP),and effect of macrolide antibiotics on CAP in children in community and rural areas.Methods The clinical manifestations,laboratory test results and the effect of macrolide antibiotics were retrospectively analysed in 256 children with CAP.Results CAP in children occurred more often in spring and summer than in autumn and winter,and was most common in school-age children.The morbidity rate of mycoplasma pneumonia(MP) was about 28%,with no significant differences among different age groups.The white blood cell(WBC) and neutrophil count in most of children with non-severe CAP were normal.However,the prevalence of CRP increase in MP pneumonia was higher than that in non-MP pneumonia.In about 97% cases the chest x-ray changes of CAP were unilateral.Total of 97 and 159 cases were treated with erythromycin lactobionate or azithromycin,respectively,and the total effective rate was 94.1%.There were no significant differences either in the total effective rate between MP pneumonia and non-MP pneumonia groups,or in the curative effect between erythromycin lactobionate and azithromycin.Conclusion Macrolide antibiotics can be used as the primary empirical antibiotics to treat CAP in children in community and rural areas.