[The role of viral infection in adults with bronchopulmonary infections].

We isolated the virus from the respiratory specimens of 16 patients (7.9%) when we investigated the bronchopulmonary infections of 203 adult patients by the viral isolation method for the diagnosis of the viral infection and transtracheal aspiration (TTA) for taking directly the specimen from the lower respiratory tract. The bronchopulmonary infections, isolated the virus, consisted of acute bronchitis (3 cases), pneumonia (8 cases) and the acute exacerbation of chronic lower respiratory infection (5 cases). The positive viral isolation consisted of Rhinovirus (11 strains), Herpes simplex virus I (3 strains), Parainfluenza virus III (1 strain) and Respiratory syncytial virus (1 stain). There were 9 transtracheal aspirates, 8 pharyngeal swabs and 5 nasal washings in the positive viral specimens. We experienced 5 cases who had the same virus isolated from both the upper respiratory tract and the lower respiratory tract. H. influenzae, P. aeruginosa and other bacteria were found in 14 of the 16 TTA cultures. These results suggest that the role of the viral infection is important either independently or relating the bacterial infection in the adult bronchopulmonary infections.