Pneumonia: CAP, HAP and other types

The Pharmaceutical Journal 18 JAN 2014By

Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of mortality with four million deaths worldwide each year. This article consolidates your knowledge of symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Rob300/Dreamstime

Pneumonia is an acute respiratory illness affecting the distal airways of the respiratory tract and lung parenchyma (ie, the lower respiratory tract). Unlike other lower respiratory tract infections, such as acute bronchitis, bronchiolitis and tracheitis, pneumonia is one of the leading causes of mortality, with four million deaths worldwide each year. Consequently it is important that pneumonia is accurately diagnosed and promptly treated.

This article outlines different types of pneumonia and their causes. Symptoms, diagnosis and recommendations for the treatment of pneumonia are also described.

To read the full article please download a PDF of the article, available in the Supplmentary information on the right hand side of this webpage.

References:

1. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. NICE CG69: Respiratory Tract Infections – antibiotic prescribing: prescribing of antibiotics for self-limiting respiratory tract infections in adults and children in primary care. July 2008. Available at www.nice.org.uk

2. Lim WS, Baudouin SV, George RC, et al. BTS guidelines for the management of community acquired pneumonia in adults: update 2009. Thorax 2009; 64(suppl 3): iii1-55.

3. Gibson GJ, Loddenkemper R, Sibille Y et al (eds). European lung white book. Chapter 18: Acute lower respiratory infections. European Respiratory Society: Sheffield 2013.

4. Loebinger MR et Wilson R. Pneumonia. Medicine 2012;40:329-334.

5. Masterton RG, Galloway A, French G et al. Guidelines for the management of hospital-acquired pneumonia in the UK: report of the working party on hospital acquired pneumonia of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. J Antimicro Chemother 2008;62:5-34.

6. Waterer GW, Rello J, Wunderink RG. Management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2011; 183: 157–164.

7. Niven DJ et Laupland KB. Severe community-acquired pneumonia in adults: currecnt antimicrobial chemotherapy. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2009;7:69–81.

8. Dryden M, Hand K et Davey P. Antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia. J Antimicrob Chemother 2009;64:1123-5.

9. Kumar A, Roberts D, Wood KE et al. Duration of hypotension before initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy is the critical determinant of survival in human septic shock. Crit. Care Med. 2006;34:1589–1596

10. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Europe 2012. Annual Report of the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net). Stockholm: ECDC; 2013. Available at: http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/antimicrobial-resistance-surveillance-europe-2012.pdf

11. Ewig S, Torres A. Community-acquired pneumonia as an emergency: time for an aggressive intervention to lower mortality. Eur Respir J 2011; 38: 253–260.

12. Falcone M, Blasi F, Menichetti F et al. Pneumonia in frail older patients: an up to date. Intern Emerg Med 2012;7:415-424.

13. Wunderink RG, Niederman MS, Kooef MH et al. Linezolid in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Nosocomial Pneumonia: A Randomized, Controlled Study. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;54:621-629.

14. O’Driscoll BR, Howard LS, Davison AG. BTS guideline for emergency oxygen use in adult patients. Thorax 2008; 63: Suppl. 6, vi1–vi68.

15. Public Health England. Immunisation against infectious disease: the green book http://immunisation.dh.gov.uk/green-book-chapters

Citation: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 18 January 2014, Vol 292, No 7793, p54 | URI: 11132778

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