OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the indications, efficacy, and safety of transthoracic needle aspiration (TNA) in diagnosing @entity497 ( @entity497 ). METHODS: TNA procedure was performed using an ultrathin needle with ultrasonography and/or computed tomography. The aspirate samples were Gram-stained and sent for cultures. The results were compared with those from conventional microbiological studies. @entity1 : Sixty @entity1 with @entity497 who were admitted to the hospital and were studied prospectively between July 1994 and June 1999 were included in the study. RESULTS: TNA culture was positive in 30 cases (50.0%). @entity328 was the most frequently isolated pathogen, followed by the @entity328 milleri group, and anaerobes. The results of TNA were consistent with those of quantitative sputum cultures in 9 @entity1 and with those of blood cultures in 4. Complications arose in 3 @entity1 who developed small to moderate pneumothorax. CONCLUSIONS: TNA is a safe procedure with a good diagnostic yield. In particular, anaerobes or microaerophils such as the S. milleri group were highly detectable by TNA. The results obtained by TNA were highly consistent with those obtained by the gold standard methods. Combined with conventional methods, TNA is considered highly useful for determining the etiology of @entity497 .

Efficacy of transthoracic needle aspiration in XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'PATIENTS'] @entity497 :: ('MESH:D003147', 'Disease') :: ['CAP', 'community-acquired pneumonia'] @entity328 :: ('1313', 'Species') :: ['Streptococcus pneumoniae', 'Streptococcus']
@entity497 :: (MESH:D003147,Disease) :: ['community-acquired pneumonia']
