The Etiology of Pneumonia in HIV-1-infected South African Children in the Era of Antiretroviral Treatment: Findings From the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) Study.

Background: HIV-1 infection predisposes to an increased burden of pneumonia caused by community-acquired and opportunistic pathogens.

Methods: Within the context of the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health case-control study of under 5 pneumonia, we investigated the etiology of World Health Organization-defined severe/very severe pneumonia requiring hospitalization in South African HIV-infected children. Nasopharyngeal-oropharyngeal swabs and blood, collected from cases and age- and season-matched HIV-infected controls attending outpatient antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics, were analyzed using molecular diagnostic methods.

The Etiology of Pneumonia in HIV-uninfected South African Children: Findings From the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) Study.

Background: Pneumonia is the major contributor to under 5 childhood mortality globally. We evaluated the etiology of pneumonia amongst HIV-uninfected South African children enrolled into the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health case-control study.

Methods: Cases, 1-59 months of age hospitalized with World Health Organization clinically defined severe/very severe pneumonia, were frequency-matched by age and season to community controls.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and hospitalization of children for pneumonia: a time-series analysis, South Africa, 2006-2014.

Objective: To assess the impact of immunization with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on all-cause pneumonia hospitalizations among children in Soweto, South Africa.

Methods: We used data collected at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto between 2006 and 2014 - i.e.

The Incremental Value of Repeated Induced Sputum and Gastric Aspirate Samples for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Young Children With Acute Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Background.: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) contributes to the pathogenesis of childhood acute community-acquired pneumonia in settings with a high tuberculosis burden. The incremental value of a repeated induced sputum (IS) sample, compared with a single IS or gastric aspirate (GA) sample, is not well known.

Microscopic Analysis and Quality Assessment of Induced Sputum From Children With Pneumonia in the PERCH Study.

Background.: It is standard practice for laboratories to assess the cellular quality of expectorated sputum specimens to check that they originated from the lower respiratory tract. The presence of low numbers of squamous epithelial cells (SECs) and high numbers of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells are regarded as indicative of a lower respiratory tract specimen.

Safety of Induced Sputum Collection in Children Hospitalized With Severe or Very Severe Pneumonia.

Background.: Induced sputum (IS) may provide diagnostic information about the etiology of pneumonia. The safety of this procedure across a heterogeneous population with severe pneumonia in low- and middle-income countries has not been described.