Counterimmunoelectrophoresis of urine for diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia in pediatric outpatients.

Thirty-eight pediatric outpatients with pneumonia were studied by counterimmunoelectrophoresis for the presence of Haemophilus influenzae type b or pneumococcal antigenuria. Of the 38 patients eight (21%) had H influenzae type b antigenuria and two (5%) had pneumococcal antigenuria. H influenzae type b antigenuria was detected more frequently in patients less than 2 years of age than in older children. Urine counterimmunoelectrophoresis appears to be a useful tool for the etiologic diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia and should facilitate further studies of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical spectrum of this disease.