Causative organisms in paediatric pneumonia

Examples of different types of pneumonia in childhood:

• viral - any child, especially younger than 1 year
• Pneumococcal - older child, lobar, accounts for 90% paediatric bacterial pneumonia
• Haemophilus - all ages
• Staphylococcal - under 1 year, debilitated, weakened infants.
• Mycoplasma - older children, ages 5 to 15.
• Pneumocystis - in immunocompromised child (or adult)

In infants less than three months of age, the section on neonatal pneumonia should be consulted.

Several pathogens may co-exist in a sick child, one common combination is Chlamydia and Cytomegalovirus.

Reference

1. Popovsky EY, Florin TA. Community-acquired pneumonia in childhood. In: Janes SM, ed. Encyclopedia of respiratory medicine. 2nd ed. Cambridge, MA: Academic Press; 2022:119-31.