What is the Mortality Rate for Legionellosis in the Pediatric Population?

Discussion Legionella is often a severe, atypical pneumonia caused by the Legionella pneumophilia. It is a gram-negative bacterium that naturally occurs in water and is transmitted by droplet inhalation. No person-to-person contact has been documented to date. Contaminated water supplies have been documented in cooling tanks, decorative fountains, hot tubs, and large plumbing systems. Household and car air conditioners do not transmit the organism. Risk factors in the pediatric populations for legionellosis are being immunodeficient and exposure. Neonates are at risk from hospital settings. Clinically legionellosis includes fever, myalgia, cough and radiographic or clinical evidence of pneumonia, along with laboratory confirmation by culture, serum antibody detection or urine antigen detection. Gastrointestinal symptoms can occur in 20-40% of patients. Patient can have mild disease but often it is severe with altered mental status and respiratory failure. Interestingly, children show a faster decline of serum IgM levels than adults. Antigen testing can be difficult to perform and false positive results can occur because of cross-reactivity with other organisms. Another less common clinical presentation is Pontiac Fever which causes less severe symptoms and clinically appears like influenza. Other common bacterial causes of atypical pneumonia include Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumonia. A differential diagnosis of cough can be reviewed here. Causes of pneumonia and...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news