Community-acquired pneumonia

ABSTRACT

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a condition characterized by inflammatory changes in the respiratory system caused by non-hospital pathogens. The symptoms and signs of a lower respiratory tract infection range from cough, dyspnoea, pleuritic chest pain, sputum with mucopurulent components, to systemic features such as myalgia, and fever. Patients in their older years are more likely to present with confusion or worsening pre-existing conditions and may lack fever. Severe CAP is a pneumonia that requires supportive therapy within intensive care settings, and is still associated with a high mortality and significantly morbidity, specifically amongst the elderly population with multiple comorbidities. Despite the improvement in supportive care by new modalities, such as high-flow nasal oxygen therapy, severe CAP remains one of the most common reasons for admission to a critical care facility. Correct diagnosis, risk stratification and early initiation of antibiotic treatment are key factors determining outcomes of patients with severe CAP. Future developments are likely to concentrate on diagnostics such as point of care microbiological tests and adjuvant non-antibiotic immunomodulating treatment strategies. Further research is warranted to elucidate the role of treatment with corticosteroids in severe CAP. Neither coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia nor pneumonia in immunocompromised patients are within the scope of this article. Copyright © 2022