Clin Med
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Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most common acute infections requiring admission to hospital. The main causative pathogens of CAP are Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza A, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and the dominant risk factors are age, smoking and comorbidities. ⋯ In the future, routine use of biomarkers to improve risk stratification and tailor management to individual patients could improve outcomes, and there is some evidence that modulation of CAP-associated inflammation could also be beneficial. Both research into host-microbial interactions in the lung and clinical trials of different management and preventative treatments are urgently needed to combat the increasing morbidity and mortality associated with CAP.