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Background/purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the pathogens and to estimate the incidence of pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Taiwan., Methods: This prospective study was conducted at eight medical centers from November 2010 to September 2013. Children aged 6 weeks to 18 years who met the radiologic criteria for pneumonia were enrolled. To detect classical and atypical bacteria and viruses, blood and pleural fluids were cultured, and respiratory specimens were examined by multiple conventional and molecular methods., Results: At least one potential pathogen was identified in 705 (68.3%) cases of 1032 children enrolled, including bacteria in 420 (40.7%) cases, virus in 180 (17.4%) cases, and mixed viral-bacterial infection in 105 (10.2%) cases. Streptococcus pneumoniae (31.6%) was the most common pathogen, followed by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (22.6%). Adenovirus (5.9%) was the most common virus. RSV was significantly associated with children aged under 2 years, S. pneumoniae in children aged between 2 and 5 years, and M. pneumoniae in children aged >5 years. The annual incidence rate of hospitalization for CAP was highest in children aged 2-5 years (229.7 per 100,000). From 2011 to 2012, significant reduction in hospitalization rates pertained in children under 5 years of age, in pneumonia caused by pneumococcus, adenovirus or co-infections and complicated pneumonia., Conclusion: CAP related pathogens have changed after increased conjugated pneumococcal vaccination rates. This study described the latest incidences and trends of CAP pathogens, which are crucial for prompt delivery of appropriate therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: In Taiwan, the age group with the greatest incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease is 2-5 years of age, which is different from other countries. This study was conducted to identify risk factors and different 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) schedules associated with vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal pneumonia (IPP) despite prior vaccination., Methods: A case-control study was conducted prospectively between August 2012 and December 2015 at five participating medical centers. The study enrolled children <15 years of age who were admitted to one of the five medical centers for CAP. Blood samples and acute-phase serum specimens were collected and Streptococcus pneumoniae was identified by using a real-time polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assay targeting the lytA gene., Results: A total of 25 children diagnosed with vaccine-type IPP and 124 controls were enrolled. Vaccine-type IPP occurred in 6 (28.6%), 14 (24.1%), and 5 (7.1%) children receiving vaccines on a not-age-appropriate schedule (n = 21), primary infant schedule (n = 58), and toddler catch-up schedule (n = 70) (P = 0.008), respectively. Of 25 children, the mean age at disease onset was 36 ± 11 months; serotype 19A was responsible for 84% (21/25)., Conclusion: After adjustment for confounding factors, the risk of vaccine-type IPP was significantly higher among children receiving vaccines on a not-age-appropriate schedule, or on a primary infant schedule, compared with children receiving vaccines on a toddler catch-up schedule. Duration of vaccine immunity should be investigated to direct strategies for maintaining individual and population immunity against pneumococcal disease., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of hospitalization of children. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common pathogens. The disease severity is diverse, and the diagnosis remains a challenge to clinical pediatricians. The aims of this study are to provide a nationwide surveillance of the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of community-acquired mycoplasma pneumonia (CAMP) in children in Taiwan., Methods: The medical records of children enrolled by the Taiwan Pediatric Infectious Disease Alliance (TPIDA) project during 2010-2011 were reviewed. Hospitalized children with segmental or lobar pneumonia were included. The demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiographic data were analyzed. Nasopharyngeal swabs, pleural effusion, and serum were collected for multiplex viral and bacterial polymerase chain reaction (PCR), mycoplasma immunoglobulin M (IgM), or paired immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer., Results: There were overall 127 children with CAMP. Among them, 16 (12.6%) children had PCR and IgM positivity, 74 (58.3%) children had a positive serologic study, 34 (27.8%) children had positive PCR detection, and three (2.4%) children had paired IgG above a four-fold increase. Enrolled patients were divided into two groups before and after the age of 5 years. Children younger than 5 years or younger had a significantly longer hospitalization, higher intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, and more complications. They were more frequent to receive oxygen supplementation and even surgical intervention. The white blood cell counts and C-reactive protein levels were higher in children 5 years old or younger., Conclusion: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an important etiology of CAP in children 5 years or younger. They had a longer length of hospitalization, higher inflammatory responses, and more complications, compared to children older than 5 years., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Complications regarding pneumonia occur in children during hospitalization and treatment. The objective of this study is to identify the risk factors of progressive pneumonia in order to institute early appropriate therapy., Methods: This was a prospective study which involved the pediatric departments of seven medical centers in Taiwan. Children aged from 6 weeks to 18 years old, hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) from January 2010 to August 2011, were enrolled. Progressive pneumonia was defined by the deterioration of discharge diagnosis as compared to admission. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables, diagnosis, antimicrobial therapy, and pathogens were compared., Results: Four hundred and two children were included and 57 (14.2%) had progressive pneumonia. Independent associated factors identified for the development of progressive disease, by multivariate logistic regression analysis, included the following, age < 2 years, pleural effusion as admission diagnosis, Hb < 10 g/dL, WBC count > 17,500/μL, tachypnea, and duration to defervescence > 3 days. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the main etiology for progressive pneumonia (57.9%). There was no difference in choice of initial parenteral antibiotics between groups of progressive and non-progressive pneumococcal pneumonia., Conclusion: We found six clinical factors for predicting progressive pneumonia. Further evaluation should be performed in hospitalized pneumonic children with persistent fever not responding to therapy within 72 hours. The initial parenteral antibiotics were not related to the progression of pneumococcal pneumonia., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.)