Seminars in respiratory and critical care medicine
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2024
ReviewNew Guidelines for Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia.
In 2023, the new European guidelines on severe community-acquired pneumonia, providing clinical practice recommendations for the management of this life-threatening infection, characterized by a high burden of mortality, morbidity, and costs for the society. This review article aims to summarize the principal evidence related to eight different questions covered in the guidelines, by also highlighting the future perspectives for research activity.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2024
ReviewLong-Term Outcomes in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is globally one of the major causes of hospitalization and mortality. Severe CAP (sCAP) presents great challenges and need a comprehensive understanding of its long-term outcomes. Cardiovascular events and neurological impairment, due to persistent inflammation and hypoxemia, contribute to long-term outcomes in CAP, including mortality. ⋯ In terms of treatment, the potential protective role of macrolides in reducing mortality emphasizes the importance of appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy. This narrative review explores the growing interest in the literature focusing on the long-term implications of sCAP. Improved understanding of long-term outcomes in sCAP can facilitate targeted interventions and enhance posthospitalization care protocols.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2024
ReviewDefinition, Epidemiology, and Pathogenesis of Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia.
The clinical presentation of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) can vary widely among patients. While many individuals with mild symptoms can be managed as outpatients with excellent outcomes, there is a distinct subgroup of patients who present with severe CAP. In these cases, the mortality rate can reach approximately 25% within 30 days and even up to 50% within a year. ⋯ In these patients, the host response may be dysregulated and compartmentalized. Gaining a better understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of severe CAP will provide a foundation for the development of new therapies for this condition. This manuscript aims to review the definition, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of severe CAP, shedding light on important aspects that can aid in the improvement of patient care and outcomes.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2024
ReviewAntibiotic Strategies for Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia.
Despite advancements in health systems and intensive care unit (ICU) care, along with the introduction of novel antibiotics and microbiologic techniques, mortality rates in severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) patients have not shown significant improvement. Delayed admission to the ICU is a major risk factor for higher mortality. ⋯ Additionally, several other molecules, such as delafloxacin, lefamulin, and omadacycline, hold promise as therapeutic strategies for sCAP. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the key challenges in managing adults with severe CAP, focusing on essential aspects related to antibiotic treatment and investigating potential strategies to enhance clinical outcomes in sCAP patients.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2024
ReviewRisk of Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia.
Severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) is difficult to treat when caused by difficult-to-treat (DTR) pathogens because of limited treatment options and poorer clinical outcomes. Over time, several predictive scoring systems based on risk factors for infection with multidrug resistant pathogens have been developed. We reviewed the available tools for identifying DTR pathogens as the cause of SCAP, both predictive scoring systems and rapid diagnostic methods, to develop management strategies aimed at early identification of DTR pathogens, reducing broad-spectrum antibiotic use and improving clinical outcomes. ⋯ Rapid diagnostic tools, such as multiplex polymerase chain reaction, would be useful for the rapid identification of pneumonia-causing pathogens and their resistance mechanisms. In resource-limited settings, rapid tests should be limited to patients at high risk of developing SCAP due to DTR pathogens. We propose an integrative algorithm based on the different scores, taking into account local epidemiological data, where ideally each center should have an antimicrobial stewardship program.