RÉSUMÉ
ABSTRACT Objective: To assess differences in the sputum microbiota of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients with either COPD or asthma, specifically focusing on a patient population in Turkey. Methods: This retrospective study included hospitalized patients > 18 years of age with a diagnosis of pneumonia between January of 2021 and January of 2023. Participants were recruited from two hospitals, and three patient groups were considered: CAP patients with asthma, CAP patients with COPD, and CAP patients without COPD or asthma. Results: A total of 246 patients with CAP were included in the study, 184 (74.8%) and 62 (25.2%) being males and females, with a mean age of 66 ± 14 years. Among the participants, 52.9% had COPD, 14.2% had asthma, and 32.9% had CAP but no COPD or asthma. Upon analysis of sputum cultures, positive sputum culture growth was observed in 52.9% of patients. The most commonly isolated microorganisms were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 40), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 20), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 16), and Moraxella catarrhalis (n = 8). CAP patients with COPD were more likely to have a positive sputum culture (p = 0.038), a history of antibiotic use within the past three months (p = 0.03), utilization of long-term home oxygen therapy (p < 0.001), and use of noninvasive ventilation (p = 0.001) when compared with the other patient groups. Additionally, CAP patients with COPD had a higher CURB-65 score when compared with CAP patients with asthma (p = 0.004). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that CAP patients with COPD tend to have more severe presentations, while CAP patients with asthma show varied microbial profiles, underscoring the need for patient-specific management strategies in CAP.
RÉSUMÉ
Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a transient airflow obstruction that usually occurs 5 to 15 minutes after physical exertion. Although this condition is preventable, it is still underrecognized and affects the quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of EIB, to find out whether self-reported symptoms were enough to establish the diagnosis of EIB and to define related symptoms and risk factors among symptomatic students of a Sports Academy in our city, which is situated at about 2,000 meters altitude and experiences a long winter period. A questionnaire was sent to students of the Sports Academy. After its evaluation, symptomatic students were invited to perform a pulmonary function test (PFT) before and after a six minute exercise test. Two hundred and seventy-seven students (205 males and 72 females, mean age: 20+/-4) from 12 different types of sport replied to the questionnaire. Of these subjects, 43% were symptomatic. Out of the 119 symptomatic students, 63 accepted our invitation. Three of them were excluded. After performing a six-minute exercise test, EIB was observed in 5 (8%) of them, whose symptoms were aggravated by cold weather. Our results suggest that EIB may be common among symptomatic sportsmen. Screening is important, since EIB could be prevented with appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Although respiratory symptoms during exercise may give important clues, only these symptoms are not sufficient to establish the diagnosis of EIB. Symptomatic patients should undergo further tests for EIB.