Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant cause of respiratory morbidity and mortality in children, especially in developing countries.
Objective: To detect the causative bacterial pathogen associated with (CAP) in children aged below five years in Egypt &to know the most sensitive antibiotic.
Patients & Methods: This cross- section study included 60 children with pneumonia between 1month to 5 years, from Al-zhraa University Hospital (outpatient clinic and inpatient department), selected by simple random method , from August 2020 to Feb 2021. All patients were subjected to complete history taking, clinical examination, and investigations (complete blood count, CRP, ESR, liver, kidney function tests, blood culture, gastric lavage culture, Chest x-ray & CT chest to indicated cases).
Results: 60 children (age 1.12 ± 1.45years, 35 males (58.3%) and 25 females (41.7%)) from them (51.6%) with positive blood culture & (43.3%) positive gastric lavage culture. The most common bacterial pathogens identified by blood culture were coagulase negative staph (25%) & staph. aureus (10%), other bacterial causes include klebsiella pneumonia (6.6%), pseudomonas (5%), gram positive bacilli (3.3%) & growth of candida spp (1.7%). The most common bacterial pathogens identified by gastric lavage culture were Klebsiella pneumonia (13.3%) & strept. pneumonia (8.3%).
Conclusion: The common bacterial pathogens causing CAP in Egyptian children below 5 years detected by blood culture were coagulase negative staph (25%) & staph aurous (10%) & by gastric lavage culture were Klebsiella pneumonia (13.3%) & strept pneumonia (8.3%). Amoxicillin/ clavulanic were the most frequent sensitive antibiotic for different organisms reported by both culture.