Pneumonia Characteristics of Hospitalized Children Infected with Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma Pneumoniae

Abstract Background: To investigate the drug resistance and clinical characteristics of hospitalized children with drug-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MRMP).Methods: Sixty patients with MPP admitted to the Second Pediatric Respiratory Ward of Shengjing Hospital, Affiliated to China Medical University from November 2016 to February 2017 were enrolled in the study.Results: Of these 53/60 (88.3%) patients had Mycoplasma pneumoniae nucleic acid identified by throat swab. 23S rRNA V region gene sequencing was performed, 47/49 (95.9%) had mutation sites, including 46 cases of A2063G, one case of A2064G, two cases of no mutation, and a final drug resistance rate of 95.9%. The summary characteristics of the 47 cases of drug-resistant MPP were based on 22 male and 25 female patients. The onset age was 6.9 ± 2.5 years and the total fever duration was 9.8 ± 3.7 days. The leukocyte count during the acute phase was (8,300 ± 4,200) cells/mm3, C-reactive Protein (CRP) was 18.2 (8.2–32.5) mg/L, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was 2.1 (1.5–3.3), There was no significant difference between the acute phase and the convalescent phase for leukocyte count, P = 0.336. The NLR and CRP levels were significantly higher during the acute phase compared to the recovery period (P < 0.05). The level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) increased in 65.7% of patients, with a median of 248.5 (200.0–299.7) U/L. D-dimer levels were elevated in 59.4% of patients, with a median of 301.0 (188.5–545.0) mg/L. A total of 23/47 (48.9%) patients were diagnosed with severe MPP. The incidence of extra-pulmonary complications was 38.2%. Conclusions: In summary, MRMP patients had a fever of long duration, higher inflammatory index, higher LDH and D-dimer levels, and an increased incidence of extra-pulmonary complications.