Biomaterial Database

Bronchoalveolar lavage for diagnosing acute bacterial pneumonia. 1987

J E Thorpe, and R P Baughman, and P T Frame, and T A Wesseler, and J L Staneck

The utility of gram stain and semiquantitative culture of the fluid retrieved by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in identifying the causative agent in acute bacterial pneumonia was initially assessed in 92 patients. Fifteen of these patients presented with clinically active bacterial pneumonia; the remaining patients underwent bronchoscopy to evaluate other processes in the lung. Thirteen of the 15 patients with clinically active bacterial pneumonia had a BAL culture greater than or equal to 10(5) colony-forming units per milliliter of BAL fluid, whereas none of the other groups had a positive culture (chi 2 = 70.7, P less than .001). Gram stain of cytocentrifuged BAL fluid was positive (one or more organisms seen per 1,000 X field) only in those patients with an active bacterial pneumonia. Applying this technique, we studied 59 immunocompromised patients presenting with pulmonary infiltrates. Eight (21%) of the 39 patients presenting with microbial-related infiltrates proved to have acute bacterial pneumonia by BAL culture; the pneumonia resolved with appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007108	Immune Tolerance	The specific failure of a normally responsive individual to make an immune response to a known antigen. It results from previous contact with the antigen by an immunologically immature individual (fetus or neonate) or by an adult exposed to extreme high-dose or low-dose antigen, or by exposure to radiation, antimetabolites, antilymphocytic serum, etc.	Immunosuppression (Physiology),Immunosuppressions (Physiology),Tolerance, Immune
D007507	Therapeutic Irrigation	The washing of a body cavity or surface by flowing water or solution for therapy or diagnosis.	Douching,Lavage,Douchings,Irrigation, Therapeutic,Irrigations, Therapeutic,Lavages,Therapeutic Irrigations
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011014	Pneumonia	Infection of the lung often accompanied by inflammation.	Experimental Lung Inflammation,Lobar Pneumonia,Lung Inflammation,Pneumonia, Lobar,Pneumonitis,Pulmonary Inflammation,Experimental Lung Inflammations,Inflammation, Experimental Lung,Inflammation, Lung,Inflammation, Pulmonary,Inflammations, Lung,Inflammations, Pulmonary,Lobar Pneumonias,Lung Inflammation, Experimental,Lung Inflammations,Lung Inflammations, Experimental,Pneumonias,Pneumonias, Lobar,Pneumonitides,Pulmonary Inflammations
D011650	Pulmonary Alveoli	Small polyhedral outpouchings along the walls of the alveolar sacs, alveolar ducts and terminal bronchioles through the walls of which gas exchange between alveolar air and pulmonary capillary blood takes place.	Alveoli, Pulmonary,Alveolus, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Alveolus
D001980	Bronchi	The larger air passages of the lungs arising from the terminal bifurcation of the TRACHEA. They include the largest two primary bronchi which branch out into secondary bronchi, and tertiary bronchi which extend into BRONCHIOLES and PULMONARY ALVEOLI.	Primary Bronchi,Primary Bronchus,Secondary Bronchi,Secondary Bronchus,Tertiary Bronchi,Tertiary Bronchus,Bronchi, Primary,Bronchi, Secondary,Bronchi, Tertiary,Bronchus,Bronchus, Primary,Bronchus, Secondary,Bronchus, Tertiary
D001999	Bronchoscopy	Endoscopic examination, therapy or surgery of the bronchi.	Bronchoscopic Surgical Procedures,Surgical Procedures, Bronchoscopic,Bronchoscopic Surgery,Surgery, Bronchoscopic,Bronchoscopic Surgeries,Bronchoscopic Surgical Procedure,Bronchoscopies,Surgeries, Bronchoscopic,Surgical Procedure, Bronchoscopic
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man