Diagnosis and empirical treatment for community-acquired pneumonia in special situations: immunocompromised HIV negative and elderly patients

• Published in: Medicine - programa de formación médica continuada acreditado Vol. 12; no. 53; p. 3168
• Main Authors: Girón Ortega, J A, Pérez Galera, S, Girón González, J A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Spain 01.04.2018
• Subjects: Immunosuppressed patient; Community-acquired pneumonia; The elderly
• ISSN: 0304-5412
• DOI: 10.1016/j.med.2018.03.027

In the elderly, pneumonia often has a less florid clinical presentation and is frequently complicated by decompensation of concomitant diseases. Elderly patients have special characteristics in terms of the pathogens involved in pneumonia; they are at greater risk of multiresistant bacterial infections because of their frequent contact with the health services. Lung infections in immunosuppressed individuals have different causes depending on the immune deficiency in question. Admission to hospital or ambulatory treatment will be decided after stratifying the risk; this treatment will be determined by the characteristics at the time of onset of the pneumonia, the local epidemiological situation in terms of the percentage of antibiotic resistance in the area, and the clinical particularities.