Abstract: Objective To analyze the distribution characteristics of pathogens in hospitalized patients with respiratory tract infections, describe their detection status across different genders, groups, and seasons, and provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention and control of respiratory tract infections in this region. Method In this single-center retrospective study, we enrolled hospitalized patients with respiratory tract infections who underwent pathogen testing at Gansu Provincial People's Hospital from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024. Clinical and etiological data were collected to calculate detection rates and to analyze the epidemiological features of pathogens by sex, age, season, and co-infection status. Result A total of 12 508 hospitalized patients with respiratory tract infections were included in this study, of whom 7088 were male (56.7%) and 5420 were female (43.3%), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.31∶1. The top three pathogens by detection rate were mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) with 6121 cases (48.8%), influenza (IAV) with 4436 cases (35.4%), and influenza B virus (IBV) with 4239 cases (33.9%). There were 5631 cases of single infection (45%) and 6877 cases of mixed infection (55%), with IAV IBV MP being the common co-infection combination, accounting for 1155 cases (16.8% of mixed infection cases). Conclusion Among the 12 508 hospitalized patients with respiratory infections at Gansu Provincial People's Hospital between 2023 and 2024, Mycoplasma pneumoniae was the most common pathogen, followed by influenza A virus and influenza B virus; mixed infections were also relatively prevalent.

Key words: Respiratory tract infection, Pathogen, Epidemiological characteristics, Retrospective study