Original scientific paper
Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of legionnaires' disease in our hospitalized patients
Ivan Puljiz
; University Hospital for Infectious Diseses "Dr. Fran Mihaljević"
Ilija Kuzman
; University Hospital for Infectious Diseses "Dr. Fran Mihaljević"
Oktavija Đaković-Rode
; University Hospital for Infectious Diseses "Dr. Fran Mihaljević"
Branka Vuković
; University Hospital for Infectious Diseses "Dr. Fran Mihaljević"
Abstract
We retrospectively analysed clinical and epidemiological characteristics of legionnaires' disease in 60 patients, aged 26 to 85 years (53 males, and 7 females), hospitalized at the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb in a 4-year period, from 2000 to 2003. The diagnosis of legionnaires' disease was confirmed by serological tests. The disease was registered throughout the year, with more cases reported from June to October (58,3 %). All cases were sporadic. There were more males (88,3 %) than females. Most of the patients were aged 31 — 50 years (60 %). More than two-thirds (68,3 %) of patients had mild form of disease. Main symptoms of disease were fever, headache, and cough, and most significant laboratory findings were accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, increased value of C-reactive protein, leukocytosis, and hyponatremia. Chest X-rays were non-characteristic, in the majority of patients pulmonary infiltrate was localized in a single pulmonary lobe. Pleural effusion was recorded in 28,3 % of patients. Mechanical ventilation was performed in seven patients, and four patients developed ARDS. One patient died.
Keywords
Pneumonia; legionnaires' disease; clinical characteristics; epidemiology
Hrčak ID:
23634
URI
Publication date:
5.9.2007.
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