Reappraisal of Lung Tap: Review of an Old Method for Better Etiologic Diagnosis of Childhood Pneumonia
Open Access
- 1 March 2001
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Clinical Infectious Diseases
- Vol. 32 (5) , 715-726
- https://doi.org/10.1086/319213
Abstract
Identification of the etiology of childhood pneumonia is difficult, even in the cases that most likely have bacterial origins. A positive blood culture result is diagnostic but rare (<10% of cases), and other noninvasive microbiological methods are nonspecific or are at least shadowed by interpretation problems. However, lung tap (or aspiration), a method developed a century ago, warrants reappraisal, especially since the prevalence of pneumococcal resistance to penicillin is increasing. An analysis of 59 studies that were published in 6 languages led us to conclude that (1) bacterial etiology is disclosed in ∼50% of cases (virological tests were rarely done); (2) lung tap is safer than is generally considered; (3) potential pneumothorax is mostly symptomless and resolves spontaneously without impairing recovery; and (4) in comparison with routine diagnostic tools, lung tap offers so many advantages that it warrants reconsideration at centers where personnel have experience in handling potential pneumothorax.Keywords
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