PNEUMONIA IN NEW GUINEA: I. BACTERIOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN 632 ADULTS WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO HÆMOPHILVS INFLUENZÆ

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Abstract
In a prospective study of 632 adult Melanesian patients with a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia, Pneumococcus was cultured from 58% of 447 sputum specimens, 10% of 533 blood cultures, and 62% of 24 lung aspirates. Haemophilus influenzae was cultured from 44% of sputum specimens, 0.4% of blood cultures, and 12% of lung aspirates. Sputum cultures containing both these two organisms were common. Pneumococcus was the sputum pathogen obtained most commonly from multisegmental and unisegmental pneumonia, whereas H. influenzae was the commonest pathogen grown from patients with a bronchopneumonia pattern, and from those who had clinical signs suggesting alveolar infection, but no radiological evidence of consolidation. H. influenzæ was the only pathogen grown from sputum in 18% of patients, including 9% of those with multisegmental consolidation. Only 13% of a consecutive series of 78 sputum isolates of H. influenzæ were capsulated.