Review article

Treatment of Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Zagorka Boras
Emilija Marunica
Vesna Trkeš

Abstract

Pneumonia is an acute infection of the pulmonary parenchyma and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) refers to pneumonia acquired outside of hospital. The cornerstone of treating CAP is empirical antibiotic therapy to be applied as soon as possible, immediately after the assessment of disease severity and the possible expected causes (within four to six hours of establishing the diagnosis). Recommendations for the introduction of empirical antibiotic therapy for CAP vary, and the choice depends on the severity of clinical presentation, comorbidities of patients, the prevalence of pathogens and their expected resistance to antibiotics. All major respiratory societies agree that empirical antibiotic therapy should be primarily focused on Streptococcus pneumoniae, the leading cause of CAP. The targeted antibiotic therapy should be prescribed after isolating microbial pathogens. For the successful outcome of CAP, empirical antibiotic therapy should be accompanied by supportive medical treatment. The immunomodulatory drugs have recently been investigated, and their efficiency, as well as possible additional antibiotic therapies, are yet to be confirmed in treating community-acquired pneumonia.

Keywords

community-acquired pneumonia; Streptococcus pneumoniae; antibiotics; treatment

Hrčak ID:

161764

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/161764

Publication date:

13.7.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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