| Resumo: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is unclear how often patients with pneumonia are assessed for <it>Legionella </it>in endemic areas. Additionally, the sensitivity of the IDSA/ATS criteria for recommended <it>Legionella </it>testing is undefined.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We performed a single-center, retrospective study of patients diagnosed with <it>Legionella </it>pneumonia at our hospital to determine: 1) how often <it>Legionella </it>diagnostic testing is obtained on patients with pneumonia at the time of hospitalization or when pneumonia developed during hospitalization; and 2) how often patient's with <it>Legionella </it>pneumonia met at least one of the five criteria in the IDSA/ATS guidelines recommending a work-up for <it>Legionella</it>. Patients with <it>Legionella </it>pneumonia were identified using an infection control software program. Medical records of these patients were then reviewed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirty-five percent of patients with a discharge diagnosis of pneumonia had <it>Legionella </it>urine antigen testing and/or a <it>Legionella </it>culture performed. Forty-four percent of patients who had a bronchoscopic specimen sent for microbiologic testing had a <it>Legionella </it>culture performed on the bronchoscopic specimen and/or <it>Legionella </it>urine antigen testing. Of 37 adult patients with <it>Legionella </it>pneumonia, 22 (59%) met the IDSA-ATS criteria recommending <it>Legionella </it>testing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Following current recommendations for <it>Legionella </it>testing missed 41% of <it>Legionella </it>cases in adults in our single-center study. A work-up for <it>Legionella </it>(i.e., urine antigen test and/or culture) was performed in less than half of patients who have a bronchoscopic specimen sent for microbiologic testing.</p>
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