Hospitalized Patients with Acute Pneumonia

Shaheen Najafi; Christian Sandrock

doi:10.1016/j.ehmc.2017.05.012

Hospitalized Patients with Acute Pneumonia

Hosp Med Clin. 2017 Oct;6(4):456-469. doi: 10.1016/j.ehmc.2017.05.012. Epub 2017 Sep 15.

Authors

Shaheen Najafi¹, Christian Sandrock²

Affiliations

¹ Section of Hospital Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, 4150 V Street, Suite 3400, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
² Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, 4150 V Street, Suite 3400, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.

Abstract

Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of mortality and hospitalization among US adults. The decision to admit patients from the emergency department is a major one because of its impact on patients and the hospital. The diagnosis of pneumonia is often clinical and based on symptoms and signs combined with radiographic findings. There are multiple severity assessments available that can guide treatment, prognosis, and disposition. Viruses are an important cause of pneumonia and require early recognition and treatment. The recommended treatment for community-acquired pneumonia includes a beta lactam plus a macrolide or a respiratory fluoroquinolone.

Keywords: Antibiotic stewardship; Community-acquired pneumonia; Emerging infectious diseases; Hospital-acquired pneumonia; Infection control; Viral pneumonia.

Publication types

Review