PICTURE: Clinical pattern and pneumococcal infections in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) admitted to emergency department

PICTURE study is a single-centre observational cross-sectional and prospective study on clinical pattern and pneumococcal infections in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Primary objective: To describe the proportion of community-acquired pneumonia that is attributable to Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) in hospitalized CAP patients. Secondary objectives: To describe CAP attributable to SP according to socio-demographic and clinical variables; To describe clinical evolution of CAP and correlation with serotype, bacteriaemic episodes and in hospital and 30days mortality The serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance patterns of pneumococcal isolates (at admission or during hospitalization) have been evaluated. A total number of 193 patients, 59% males, mean (±SD) age 72.9 (±15.8) y, were enrolled; 14 patients died during hospitalization; 4 patients died after discharge; 7 patients were untraceable after discharge and 1 withdrew inform consent (after discharge). A total number of 35 patients (18%) had CAP due to SP. Thirty-one samples were positive to SP and had typeable serotype - (more than 1 serotype in each sample). In our series SP is the main cause of CAP. The 13-valent conjugate vaccine potentially covers more than 40% of the serotypes identified.