Different microbiological and clinical aspects of lower respiratory tract infections between China and European/American countries

Background: National treatment/diagnosis guidelines for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are generally based on local epidemiological data. Etiology and drug-resistance patterns could differ between China and European/American countries, and simply following their respective guidelines might cause problems in clinical practice. Therefore, we need to summarize the microbiology and clinical manifestations of LRTIs in China and develop our own guidelines.

Methods: Three major national multicenter epidemiology surveillance studies on LRTI were completed recently. The data were compared in detail with those from European/American studies.

Results: Clinical and microbiological differences were observed in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), and pulmonary mycosis between our country and European/American countries.

Conclusions: The microbiological and clinical characteristics of the major LRTIs in China differ in many respects from those in European/American countries. Patients should have personal treatment plans instead of simply following the guidelines from foreign countries.