LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

Optimal approaches to preventing severe community-acquired pneumonia

Photo from wikipedia

ABSTRACT Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has the highest rate of mortality of all infectious diseases, especially among the elderly. Severe CAP (sCAP) is defined as a CAP in which intensive… Click to show full abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has the highest rate of mortality of all infectious diseases, especially among the elderly. Severe CAP (sCAP) is defined as a CAP in which intensive care management is required and is associated with an unfavorable clinical course. Areas covered: This review aims to identify prevention strategies for reducing the incidence of CAP and optimized management of sCAP. We highlight the main prevention approaches for CAP, focusing on the latest vaccination plans and on the influence of health-risk behaviors. Lastly, we report the latest recommendations about the optimal approach for sCAP when CAP has already been diagnosed, including prompt admission to ICU, early empirical antibiotic therapy, and optimization of antibiotic use. Expert opinion: Despite improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of sCAP, more efforts are needed to combat preventable causes, including the implementation and improvement of vaccine coverage, anti-tobacco campaigns and correct oral hygiene. Moreover, future research should aim to assess the benefits of early antimicrobial therapy in primary care. Pharmacokinetic studies in the target population may help clinicians to adjust dosage regimens in critically ill patients with CAP and thus reduce rates of treatment failure.

Keywords: optimal approaches; community acquired; scap; cap; acquired pneumonia

Journal Title: Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine
Year Published: 2019

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.