Comparative Analysis of Microbiological Cultures from Bronchoalveolar Lavage and Endotracheal Aspirate in Intensive Care Unit Patients with Pneumonia
Mehmet DokurDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Bilecik Seyh Edebali University Faculty of Medicine, Bilecik, TürkiyeObjectives: Pneumonia remains a leading cause of mortality among Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. The precise collection of respiratory samples and subsequent microbiological analysis are vital for the effective management and treatment of this condition. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) compared to endotracheal aspirate (ETA) in ICU patients with pneumonia.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 71 tracheostomized ICU patients diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and requiring mechanical ventilation for a minimum of 15 days over an 18-month period. BAL and ETA samples were collected and subjected to microbiological culture. Descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests were utilized to analyze the data, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Results: Significant differences were found between the microbiological cultures of BAL and ETA samples. BAL samples demonstrated significantly fewer pathogenic colonies than ETA samples (p < 0.05). This suggests that BAL provides a more accurate assessment of lower respiratory tract infections.
Conclusion: The findings underscore that BAL samples are superior to ETA samples in yielding reliable microbiological culture results in ICU patients with pneumonia. These results advocate for the use of BAL in the diagnosis and treatment of lower respiratory tract infections, potentially leading to enhanced patient outcomes.
Manuscript Language: English
