TABLE 4

Microbiological tests performed among adult inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia by geographic area

ContinentRest of the worldp-value
Blood culture
 North America434 (82.0)2199 (69.3)<0.01
 South America202 (92.7)2431 (69.8)<0.01
 Africa65 (41.7)2568 (72.4)<0.01
 Asia294 (70.8)2339 (71.2)0.89
 Europe1609 (68.6)1024 (75.4)<0.01
 Oceania29 (72.5)2604 (71.1)0.85
Sputum culture
 North America286 (54.1)2001 (63.1)<0.01
 South America95 (43.6)2192 (62.9)<0.01
 Africa92 (59.0)2195 (61.9)0.46
 Asia305 (73.5)1982 (60.3)<0.01
 Europe1496 (63.8)791 (58.2)<0.01
 Oceania13 (32.5)2274 (62.1)<0.01
Bronchoalveolar lavage culture
 North America68 (12.9)244 (7.7)<0.01
 South America15 (6.9)297 (8.5)0.40
 Africa10 (6.4)302 (8.5)0.35
 Asia48 (11.6)264 (8.0)0.02
 Europe171 (7.3)141 (10.4)<0.01
 Oceania0 (0.0)312 (8.5)0.05
Pleural fluid culture
 North America13 (2.5)104 (3.3)0.32
 South America13 (6.0)104 (3.3)0.02
 Africa12 (7.7)105 (3.0)<0.01
 Asia12 (2.9)105 (3.2)0.74
 Europe67 (2.9)50 (3.7)0.17
 Oceania0 (0.0)117 (3.2)0.25
Pneumococcal urinary antigen
 North America55 (10.4)1055 (33.2)<0.01
 South America17 (7.8)1093 (31.4)<0.01
 Africa2 (1.3)1108 (31.2)<0.01
 Asia22 (5.3)1088 (33.1)<0.01
 Europe1014 (43.3)96 (7.1)<0.01
 Oceania0 (0.0)1110 (30.3)<0.01
Legionella urinary antigen
 North America93 (17.6)1020 (32.1)<0.01
 South America1 (0.5)1112 (31.9)<0.01
 Africa1 (0.6)1112 (31.4)<0.01
 Asia30 (7.2)1083 (32.9)<0.01
 Europe988 (42.2)125 (9.2)<0.01
 Oceania0 (0.0)1113 (30.4)<0.01
Acute-phase serology
 North America22 (4.2)303 (9.5)<0.01
 South America11 (5.0)314 (9.0)0.04
 Africa9 (5.8)316 (8.9)0.18
 Asia17 (4.1)308 (9.4)<0.01
 Europe263 (11.2)62 (4.6)<0.01
 Oceania3 (7.5)322 (8.8)0.77
Viral testing
 North America83 (15.7)470 (14.8)0.60
 South America25 (11.5)528 (15.2)0.14
 Africa2 (1.3)551 (15.5)<0.01
 Asia78 (18.8)475 (14.5)0.02
 Europe361 (15.4)192 (14.1)0.30
 Oceania4 (10.0)549 (15.0)0.38
At least one test done
 North America489 (92.4)2728 (86.0)<0.01
 South America204 (93.6)3013 (86.5)<0.01
 Africa128 (82.1)3089 (87.1)0.07
 Asia406 (97.8)2811 (85.5)<0.01
 Europe1955 (83.4)1262 (92.9)<0.01
 Oceania35 (87.5)3182 (86.9)0.91

Data are presented as n (%), unless otherwise stated. Bold indicates statistical significance at p<0.05.