Legionärskrankheit: Prospektive Studie zur Häufigkeit, Klinik und Prognose

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Abstract
In a prospective study (from April, 1980 to April, 1981) of 110 patients with moderately severe to severe pneumonia 11 were found to have 12 manifestations of Legionnaires' disease. Diagnosis was proven by indirect immunofluorescence tests, either a quadruple titre rise to 1 : 128 or a single titre of at least 1 : 256. The clinical picture in all 11 patients was the typical one of severe pneumonia, usually involving the lower lobes, high fever between 39 and 40.4 degrees C, as well as WBC counts between 6.8 and 28.9 X 10(9)/l. In nine cases artificial ventilation was required, in four there was acute renal failure requiring dialysis, in four other definite renal insufficiency. All patients had underlying disease, in some severe, such as chronic obstructive lung disease, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, liver cirrhosis, renal transplantation or extensive operations. Eight patients died, four of them of Legionnaires; disease. The relatively high infection rate (10%) indicates that in patients with risk factors, as well as those with a pneumonia unresponsive to the standard treatment within five to seven days, Legionnaires' disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

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