Table 2.
Microbiological techniques/samples used for the isolation of pathogens in patients with CAP
| Microbiological technique/sample | Number of studies using technique, n (%) | References |
|---|---|---|
| Blood culture | 22 (100) | [22–24, 26, 31, 34–43, 45, 46, 48–50, 65, 68] |
| Sputum culture | 20 (91) | [22–24, 26, 34, 36–43, 45, 46, 48–50, 65, 68] |
| Urine antigen testa | 19 (86) | [22–24, 26, 31, 34, 36, 38–43, 45, 46, 48–50, 68] |
| Blood serologyb | 15 (68) | [22, 26, 36, 38–43, 45, 46, 48–50, 68] |
| Pleural fluid | 10 (45) | [22–24, 34, 38–40, 42, 45, 50] |
| Tracheobronchial aspirate | 7 (32) | [22–24, 38, 42, 45, 49] |
| Bronchoalveolar lavage | 6 (27) | [22, 23, 37, 45, 49, 68] |
| Transthoracic needle aspirate | 4 (18) | [23, 39, 45, 49] |
| Normally sterile fluid culture | 3 (14) | [43, 46, 48] |
| Nasopharyngeal swab | 3 (14) | [22, 41, 49] |
| Sublingual smear | 1 (5) | [24] |
CAP community-acquired pneumonia; n number of studies using the given technique of the 22 studies reporting the microbiological techniques used for the isolation of pathogens in patients with CAP
aFor the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila
bFor the detection of antibodies against specific pathogens or groups of pathogens, including Legionella pneumophila, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Coxiella burnetii, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila psittaci, Chlamydia trachomatis and respiratory viruses