Assessment of current laboratory diagnosis of pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia

Aim. To investigate the aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalised children and to evaluate the accuracy of the methods for its laboratory confirmation.

Materials and Methods. We performed descriptive and cross-sectional epidemiological studies. Results of the rapid immunochromatographic assay (ICT) were compared with those obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results. DNA of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae was found in 65.5% and 13.8% of the patients. Microbial associations were observed in 13.7% of patients (Mycoplasma pneumoniae + Streptococcus pneumoniae, 10.3%; Streptococcus pneumoniae + Haemophilus influenzae, 3.4%). Chlamydophila pneumoniae and SARS-CoV-2 were not detected. The cause of community-acquired pneumonia was not identified in 6.9% of the cases. A diagnostic accuracy of ICT was 27.58% and its sensitivity was relatively small (9.09%; 95% CI 1; 29), compared with a relatively high specificity (85.7%; 95% CI 42; 100).

Conclusions. Rapid ICT assay must be accompanied by the PCR or other diagnostic methods for the diagnosis of pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia in children.

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