[Importance of associated microorganisms in the development of acute pneumonia].

Sputum samples obtained from 106 patients with acute pneumonia have been studied by the quantitative microbiological method. Different microbial associations have been shown to play an important role in the development of acute pneumonia (67.9%). Microbiological studies have revealed the prevalence of pneumococci in the etiological structure of the disease. Staphylococci, hemophilic bacteria and Neisseria have been found to take part in the development of acute pneumonia in a lesser number of cases and more often occur in combination with pneumococci or form different associations themselves. The so-called "etiological" type of microbial associations has been determined, two or three microbial species being isolated at high concentrations (10(6) and over) and the percentage of patients with such combinations being 59.7 +/- 5.8%. The analysis of the clinical course of the disease has revealed that the presence of different microbial species in patients linked, to a great extent, with the clinical picture of the disease. These data may be used for prescribing adequate etiotropic therapy and for prognostication. Quantitative bacteriological studies carried out in the dynamics of the disease permit timely detection of changes in the microflora of the respiratory tracts, the evaluation of the effectiveness of antibacterial therapy in the process of its implementation and the rational correction of therapeutic measures.