Utilidad clínica del hemocultivo en niños hospitalizados por neumonía adquirida en la comunidad. Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso. Cuenca, Ecuador. 2019

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Community-acquired pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of pediatric mortality worldwide, and its proper management is essential. To apply the appropriate therapy, several diagnostic methods are used, including blood culture, a microbiological test whose usefulness is controversial, and its clinical value needs to be reconsidered. OBJECTIVE. To determine the clinical utility of blood culture in children hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia admitted to the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, from January to December 2019. METHODOLOGY. A cross-sectional, correlational study was carried out. The universe consists of all children hospitalized for CAP during the period described. The sample of 202 children was calculated with the Epi Info program. The information was compiled in a form designed by the author and processed using the SPSS version 15 program. The qualitative variables are presented with frequencies and percentages. Pearson's Chi square was used to determine the relationship between the variables. RESULTS. The sex variable was homogeneous (50%). The age group from four months to five years predominated (72.2%) and comes from the Sierra (93.5%). The frequency of positive blood cultures was 4%. Antibiotic based on blood culture was rotated in only 1 case. A relationship between the vaccination scheme, previous antibiotic and the severity of pneumonia with a positive blood culture was identified (p 0.012, 0.028 and 0.000 respectively). CONCLUSIONS. Blood culture is a microbiological diagnostic method with low clinical value.