How is pneumococcal disease diagnosed?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Clinical diagnosis of pneumococcal infection is only reliable for croupous pneumonia, but the probability of pneumococcal etiology of community-acquired pneumonia, otitis, sinusitis is 60-80 °. Verify the diagnosis can only be based on the results of a microbiological study of the corresponding biosubstrate: with rhinitis - nasal discharge (smear), with otitis, sinusitis - purulent exudate, pneumonia - sputum, with meningitis - cerebrospinal fluid. With all generalized forms of pneumococcal infection, blood is sown. Bacteriological examination of blood is also advisable when examining highly febrile children under 3 years of age to detect cryptogenic bacteremia, the causative agent of which is pneumococcus in more than 80% of cases.
When meningitis is also carried out, bacterioscopy of the cerebrospinal fluid, RLA and PCR of the cerebrospinal fluid.
For the diagnosis of endocarditis, transesophageal ultrasound of the heart is used.
[Indications for consultation of other specialists
Consultations of other specialists are shown with combined forms of pneumococcal infection. In the presence of meningeal and other neurologic symptoms, consultation of a neurologist and an infectious disease specialist is necessary. Patients with a clinical picture of otitis and sinusitis are shown consultation of an otolaryngologist.
Example of the formulation of the diagnosis
The diagnosis of pneumococcal infection is formulated depending on the clinical form of the disease: "acute otitis media of pneumococcal etiology." When combined lesions in the structure of the diagnosis, the term pneumococcal infection is introduced: "pneumococcal infection, pneumonia, pneumococcemia, purulent meningitis".