Pub Date : 2014-03-16DOI: 10.15172/pneu.2014.4/416
M. Alpers
This review of pneumonia in the tropics is based on experience with respiratory infectons in Papua New Guinea since the 1970s. It discusses ideas, principles, historical aspects of pneumonia research and the need to work with people in the community. In order to understand pneumonia in a tropical setng and evaluate new interventons it is essental to study the ecosystem of the causatve infectons, within the host and the community and between interactng microorganisms. Vaccines are much-needed preventve tools, and for pneumonia in a highly endemic setng the preventon of severe and fatal disease takes priority over the preventon of infecton. In this setng mild infecton plays an important role in preventng severe disease. For achieving long-term sustainable outcomes, sometmes ‘less is more’. A multpronged approach is required to control and prevent pneumonia, and in devising new ways of doing so. This includes appropriate and accessible clinical care, a clean, smoke-free environment, good nutriton and a range of vaccines. Also required are persistent advocacy from the global scientfc community and strong engagement with and by the communites that bear the burden of disease. Beter health care must be pursued in conjuncton with raising literacy rates and reducing poverty.
{"title":"Reflections on pneumonia in the tropics","authors":"M. Alpers","doi":"10.15172/pneu.2014.4/416","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15172/pneu.2014.4/416","url":null,"abstract":"This review of pneumonia in the tropics is based on experience with respiratory infectons in Papua New Guinea since the 1970s. It discusses ideas, principles, historical aspects of pneumonia research and the need to work with people in the community. In order to understand pneumonia in a tropical setng and evaluate new interventons it is essental to study the ecosystem of the causatve infectons, within the host and the community and between interactng microorganisms. Vaccines are much-needed preventve tools, and for pneumonia in a highly endemic setng the preventon of severe and fatal disease takes priority over the preventon of infecton. In this setng mild infecton plays an important role in preventng severe disease. For achieving long-term sustainable outcomes, sometmes ‘less is more’. A multpronged approach is required to control and prevent pneumonia, and in devising new ways of doing so. This includes appropriate and accessible clinical care, a clean, smoke-free environment, good nutriton and a range of vaccines. Also required are persistent advocacy from the global scientfc community and strong engagement with and by the communites that bear the burden of disease. Beter health care must be pursued in conjuncton with raising literacy rates and reducing poverty.","PeriodicalId":45120,"journal":{"name":"Pneumonia","volume":"4 1","pages":"1 - 7"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2014-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.15172/pneu.2014.4/416","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67244720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2013-07-27eCollection Date: 2013-01-01DOI: 10.15172/pneu.2013.2/264
Penelope L Chapman
Commentary Pneumonia - Forgotten No More Chapman, P.L. Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children worldwide and kills an estimated 1.2 million children under the age of five every year; more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Relatively few resources have been committed to addressing the problem of childhood pneumonia, particularly in resource poor settings. Yet effective interventions are available but reach too few children.
{"title":"Pneumonia - Forgotten no more.","authors":"Penelope L Chapman","doi":"10.15172/pneu.2013.2/264","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15172/pneu.2013.2/264","url":null,"abstract":"Commentary Pneumonia - Forgotten No More Chapman, P.L. Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children worldwide and kills an estimated 1.2 million children under the age of five every year; more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Relatively few resources have been committed to addressing the problem of childhood pneumonia, particularly in resource poor settings. Yet effective interventions are available but reach too few children.","PeriodicalId":45120,"journal":{"name":"Pneumonia","volume":"2 ","pages":"33-36"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2013-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.15172/pneu.2013.2/264","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41215571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2013-04-10DOI: 10.15172/pneu.2013.2/245
S. A. Kim, P. Kilgore
There are limited examples of population-based approaches that engage a broad range of stakeholders for prevention of pneumonia. In 2010, a multi-dimensional public-private partnership was established around World Pneumonia Day (WPD) in Seoul, Korea and included the following components: a) formation of an expert advisory group, b) creation of educational materials tailored for lay persons, c) creation of a dedicated WPD internet website in the local language, d) organisation of a WPD venue in central Seoul, e) creation of video and social networking messages for wide distribution, and f) engagement of parents, health-care professionals, public health agencies and policymakers. This project directly engaged 7 expert health professionals, 5 national- and city-level health facilities, and parents from communities. The program reached out to 70,560 persons including 25,200 persons who were contacted in person at publicly-held WPD events. An educational video produced for WPD was aired in the Seoul subway and visible to several million persons riding subway lines that aired the pneumonia public service announcements over a two-month period (February to March, 2011). In addition, the Korean WPD website experienced 4,975 page views with 3,338 visitors and the micro blog associated with this site hosted 82 posts from site visitors. Based on participant numbers and contact volumes achieved in this project, the Korean WPD program was widely accepted and proved to be a highly effective in reaching a large audience to advocate for pneumonia prevention. One key to success of this program appears to be the unique public-private partnership around a major health issue. The methods and tools developed in this program have excellent potential for adaptation and application in other countries where pneumonia may be an under recognised problem among the general public.
{"title":"Advocacy for pneumonia prevention in Korea: a multi-dimensional program organised around World Pneumonia Day","authors":"S. A. Kim, P. Kilgore","doi":"10.15172/pneu.2013.2/245","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15172/pneu.2013.2/245","url":null,"abstract":"There are limited examples of population-based approaches that engage a broad range of stakeholders for prevention of pneumonia. In 2010, a multi-dimensional public-private partnership was established around World Pneumonia Day (WPD) in Seoul, Korea and included the following components: a) formation of an expert advisory group, b) creation of educational materials tailored for lay persons, c) creation of a dedicated WPD internet website in the local language, d) organisation of a WPD venue in central Seoul, e) creation of video and social networking messages for wide distribution, and f) engagement of parents, health-care professionals, public health agencies and policymakers. This project directly engaged 7 expert health professionals, 5 national- and city-level health facilities, and parents from communities. The program reached out to 70,560 persons including 25,200 persons who were contacted in person at publicly-held WPD events. An educational video produced for WPD was aired in the Seoul subway and visible to several million persons riding subway lines that aired the pneumonia public service announcements over a two-month period (February to March, 2011). In addition, the Korean WPD website experienced 4,975 page views with 3,338 visitors and the micro blog associated with this site hosted 82 posts from site visitors. Based on participant numbers and contact volumes achieved in this project, the Korean WPD program was widely accepted and proved to be a highly effective in reaching a large audience to advocate for pneumonia prevention. One key to success of this program appears to be the unique public-private partnership around a major health issue. The methods and tools developed in this program have excellent potential for adaptation and application in other countries where pneumonia may be an under recognised problem among the general public.","PeriodicalId":45120,"journal":{"name":"Pneumonia","volume":"64 1","pages":"26 - 32"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2013-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.15172/pneu.2013.2/245","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67244285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2013-02-14eCollection Date: 2013-01-01DOI: 10.15172/pneu.2013.2/244
Diana C Otczyk, Allan W Cripps
Pneumonia is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children younger than 5 years. Vaccines are available against the main bacterial pathogens Haemophilus influenzae type b and Streptococcus pneumoniae. There are also vaccines against measles and pertussis; diseases that can predispose a child to pneumonia. Partners such as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), the Hib Initiative, the Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan for pneumococcal vaccines and the Measles Initiative, have accelerated the introduction of vaccines into developing countries. Whilst significant improvements in vaccine coverage have occurred globally over the past decade, there still remains an urgent need to scale-up key pneumonia protection and treatment interventions as identified in the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia (GAPP). There is promise that global immunisation will continue to improve child survival. However, there are several challenges to vaccine implementation that must first be addressed, including: a lack of access to under-served and marginalised populations; inadequate planning and management; a lack of political commitment; weak monitoring and surveillance programmes and assured sustainable finance and supply of quality vaccines. There is an urgent need to increase global awareness of the devastation that pneumonia brings to the worlds poorest communities.
{"title":"Delivering vaccines for the prevention of pneumonia - programmatic and financial issues.","authors":"Diana C Otczyk, Allan W Cripps","doi":"10.15172/pneu.2013.2/244","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15172/pneu.2013.2/244","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pneumonia is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children younger than 5 years. Vaccines are available against the main bacterial pathogens <i>Haemophilus influenzae</i> type b and <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>. There are also vaccines against measles and pertussis; diseases that can predispose a child to pneumonia. Partners such as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), the Hib Initiative, the Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan for pneumococcal vaccines and the Measles Initiative, have accelerated the introduction of vaccines into developing countries. Whilst significant improvements in vaccine coverage have occurred globally over the past decade, there still remains an urgent need to scale-up key pneumonia protection and treatment interventions as identified in the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia (GAPP). There is promise that global immunisation will continue to improve child survival. However, there are several challenges to vaccine implementation that must first be addressed, including: a lack of access to under-served and marginalised populations; inadequate planning and management; a lack of political commitment; weak monitoring and surveillance programmes and assured sustainable finance and supply of quality vaccines. There is an urgent need to increase global awareness of the devastation that pneumonia brings to the worlds poorest communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":45120,"journal":{"name":"Pneumonia","volume":"2 ","pages":"16-25"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2013-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.15172/pneu.2013.2/244","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41215570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2013-01-10DOI: 10.15172/pneu.2013.2/242
A. Cripps
Commentary Welcome to pneumonia Volume 2 Cripps, A.W. Starting a new journal is always challenging as new IT systems are put in place. Thank you to all our readers, our reviewers, those who submitted manuscripts and those whose manuscripts were published, for their patience and generosity in thought.
{"title":"Welcome to pneumonia Volume 2","authors":"A. Cripps","doi":"10.15172/pneu.2013.2/242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15172/pneu.2013.2/242","url":null,"abstract":"Commentary Welcome to pneumonia Volume 2 Cripps, A.W. Starting a new journal is always challenging as new IT systems are put in place. Thank you to all our readers, our reviewers, those who submitted manuscripts and those whose manuscripts were published, for their patience and generosity in thought.","PeriodicalId":45120,"journal":{"name":"Pneumonia","volume":"2 1","pages":"1 - 1"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2013-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.15172/pneu.2013.2/242","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67244088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-11-09DOI: 10.15172/pneu.2012.1/228
J. Telles, N. Richard, Y. Gillet, Susanne Hartwig, Stephane Pouzol, S. Dollet, M. Messaoudi, E. Paredes, C. Ploton, G. Lina, G. Vernet, D. Floret, E. Javouhey, G. Paranhos-Baccalà
Pneumonia is caused by respiratory bacteria and/or viruses. Little is known if co-infections are an aggravating factor in hospitalised children with severe pneumonia. We studied the impact of respiratory pathogens on the severity of pneumonia. Between 2007 and 2009, 52 children hospitalised with a well-documented diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), with or without parapneumonic empyema (PPE), were enrolled in the study. The patients were classified into 2 groups: CAP + PPE (n = 28) and CAP (n = 24). The identification of respiratory viruses and bacteria in nasopharyngeal aspirates and pleural effusion samples were performed using conventional bacterial techniques and molecular assays. Using real-time multiplex PCR and antigen detection, Streptococcus pneumoniae was the main agent identified in 76% of the cases by molecular tests and BinaxNOW® in pleural fluid. A total of 8% of pleural fluid samples remained undiagnosed. In nasopharyngeal aspirates, rhinovirus, parainfluenza viruses, human metapneumovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus were detected in both CAP and CAP + PPE populations; however, the percentage of viral co-detection was significantly higher in nasopharyngeal aspirates from CAP + PPE patients (35%) compared with CAP patients (5%). In conclusion, viral co-detection was observed mainly in patients with more severe pneumonia. Molecular biology assays improved the pathogens detection in pneumonia and confirmed the S. pneumoniae detection by BinaxNOW® in pleural effusion samples. Interestingly, the main S. pneumoniae serotypes found in PPE are not the ones targeted by the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
{"title":"Viral and bacterial pathogens identification in children hospitalised for severe pneumonia and parapneumonic empyema","authors":"J. Telles, N. Richard, Y. Gillet, Susanne Hartwig, Stephane Pouzol, S. Dollet, M. Messaoudi, E. Paredes, C. Ploton, G. Lina, G. Vernet, D. Floret, E. Javouhey, G. Paranhos-Baccalà","doi":"10.15172/pneu.2012.1/228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15172/pneu.2012.1/228","url":null,"abstract":"Pneumonia is caused by respiratory bacteria and/or viruses. Little is known if co-infections are an aggravating factor in hospitalised children with severe pneumonia. We studied the impact of respiratory pathogens on the severity of pneumonia. Between 2007 and 2009, 52 children hospitalised with a well-documented diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), with or without parapneumonic empyema (PPE), were enrolled in the study. The patients were classified into 2 groups: CAP + PPE (n = 28) and CAP (n = 24). The identification of respiratory viruses and bacteria in nasopharyngeal aspirates and pleural effusion samples were performed using conventional bacterial techniques and molecular assays. Using real-time multiplex PCR and antigen detection, Streptococcus pneumoniae was the main agent identified in 76% of the cases by molecular tests and BinaxNOW® in pleural fluid. A total of 8% of pleural fluid samples remained undiagnosed. In nasopharyngeal aspirates, rhinovirus, parainfluenza viruses, human metapneumovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus were detected in both CAP and CAP + PPE populations; however, the percentage of viral co-detection was significantly higher in nasopharyngeal aspirates from CAP + PPE patients (35%) compared with CAP patients (5%). In conclusion, viral co-detection was observed mainly in patients with more severe pneumonia. Molecular biology assays improved the pathogens detection in pneumonia and confirmed the S. pneumoniae detection by BinaxNOW® in pleural effusion samples. Interestingly, the main S. pneumoniae serotypes found in PPE are not the ones targeted by the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.","PeriodicalId":45120,"journal":{"name":"Pneumonia","volume":"1 1","pages":"11 - 19"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2012-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.15172/pneu.2012.1/228","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67244405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-07-24DOI: 10.15172/pneu.2012.1/209
Jana Lai, M. Binks, M. Kaestli, A. Leach, H. Smith-Vaughan
Molecular methods offer improvement in the detection of causative pneumonia pathogens, but there are concerns of false positive results. Here we validate quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in: (a) spiked serum samples and (b) in matched serum and nasopharyngeal swabs from a population of Indigenous Australian children without pneumonia, but with a high nasopharyngeal carriage prevalence of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae. Matched sera and nasopharyngeal swabs were selected from Indigenous children less than 5 years of age without a diagnosis of pneumonia. Specimens were assayed by qPCR targeting the lytA and glpQ genes from S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae, respectively. Using qPCR, neither S. pneumoniae nor H. influenzae DNA was detected in serum samples, even after concentration of serum DNA. In matched nasopharyngeal swabs, bacterial load was high with up to 106 cells/ml detected by qPCR. In this cohort of children with a high nasopharyngeal carriage, prevalence and bacterial load of pneumonia pathogens, qPCR on sera would not have produced a false pneumonia diagnosis. Thus, qPCR analysis of sera appears to be an appropriate method to aid aetiological diagnosis of pneumonia in this population.
{"title":"Potential use of serum based quantitative real-time PCR for the detection of pneumonia pathogens in a densely colonised population","authors":"Jana Lai, M. Binks, M. Kaestli, A. Leach, H. Smith-Vaughan","doi":"10.15172/pneu.2012.1/209","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15172/pneu.2012.1/209","url":null,"abstract":"Molecular methods offer improvement in the detection of causative pneumonia pathogens, but there are concerns of false positive results. Here we validate quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in: (a) spiked serum samples and (b) in matched serum and nasopharyngeal swabs from a population of Indigenous Australian children without pneumonia, but with a high nasopharyngeal carriage prevalence of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae. Matched sera and nasopharyngeal swabs were selected from Indigenous children less than 5 years of age without a diagnosis of pneumonia. Specimens were assayed by qPCR targeting the lytA and glpQ genes from S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae, respectively. Using qPCR, neither S. pneumoniae nor H. influenzae DNA was detected in serum samples, even after concentration of serum DNA. In matched nasopharyngeal swabs, bacterial load was high with up to 106 cells/ml detected by qPCR. In this cohort of children with a high nasopharyngeal carriage, prevalence and bacterial load of pneumonia pathogens, qPCR on sera would not have produced a false pneumonia diagnosis. Thus, qPCR analysis of sera appears to be an appropriate method to aid aetiological diagnosis of pneumonia in this population.","PeriodicalId":45120,"journal":{"name":"Pneumonia","volume":"1 1","pages":"7 - 10"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2012-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.15172/pneu.2012.1/209","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67244196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-07-11DOI: 10.15172/pneu.2012.1/208
Hywel T. Evans, N. Mahmood, D. Fullerton, J. Rylance, A. Gonani, S. Gordon, K. Mortimer, T. Allain
Oxygen is a World Health Organisation listed essential drug yet provision of oxygen in developing countries often fails to meet demand. The aim of this study was to evaluate the need for supplementary oxygen against oxygen delivery capacity at a large teaching hospital in Malawi. A cross-sectional study of all adult medical inpatients and assessment of oxygen provision over a 24-hour period was conducted. 144 patients were included in the study, 14 of whom met local and international criteria for oxygen therapy (oxygen saturations of <90%). Four were receiving oxygen. Of the 8 oxygen concentrators available, only 4 were functional. In conclusion, we identified a need for oxygen that was greater than the supply.
{"title":"Oxygen saturations of medical inpatients in a Malawian hospital: cross-sectional study of oxygen supply and demand","authors":"Hywel T. Evans, N. Mahmood, D. Fullerton, J. Rylance, A. Gonani, S. Gordon, K. Mortimer, T. Allain","doi":"10.15172/pneu.2012.1/208","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15172/pneu.2012.1/208","url":null,"abstract":"Oxygen is a World Health Organisation listed essential drug yet provision of oxygen in developing countries often fails to meet demand. The aim of this study was to evaluate the need for supplementary oxygen against oxygen delivery capacity at a large teaching hospital in Malawi. A cross-sectional study of all adult medical inpatients and assessment of oxygen provision over a 24-hour period was conducted. 144 patients were included in the study, 14 of whom met local and international criteria for oxygen therapy (oxygen saturations of <90%). Four were receiving oxygen. Of the 8 oxygen concentrators available, only 4 were functional. In conclusion, we identified a need for oxygen that was greater than the supply.","PeriodicalId":45120,"journal":{"name":"Pneumonia","volume":"2 1","pages":"3 - 6"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2012-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.15172/pneu.2012.1/208","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67244509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}