Pneumonia - Minor Update

The following articles have been published recently:

• Vitamin and micronutrient intake and the risk of community-acquired pneumonia in US women. Am J Med. 2007 Apr;120(4):330-6.
• The CURB65 pneumonia severity score outperforms generic sepsis and early warning scores in predicting mortality in community-acquired pneumonia.Thorax. 2007 Mar;62(3):253-9.
• Auscultating to Diagnose Pneumonia BestBETs
• What is the prevalence and incidence of community acquired pneumonia are in general and also on healthy 40 year olds NLH Q&A Service. 2007

Community Acquired Pneumonia

This review is a pragmatic attempt to highlight recent research and some backround reading in pneumonia. It should not be considered exhaustive, simply a way of reviewing some of the major developments and current thinking in the area.

Click here to see all the TRIP Evidence Reviews.

Evidence-Based Reports

• Antibiotic prophylaxis of early onset pneumonia in critically ill comatose patients. A randomized study. Evidence-Based Decision Making in Critical Care, 2005
• Gastric acid suppression and pneumonia. Bandolier Extra, 2005
• Review: antibiotics active against atypical pathogens do not improve community acquired pneumonia more than B lactam antibiotics. Evidence-Based Medicine (Requires free registration), 2005

Clinical Guidelines

• Diagnosis and Treatment of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Adults. Towards Optimized Practice, 2006
• Diagnosis and Treatment of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Children. Towards Optimized Practice, 2006
• Community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, 2006
• Evidence-based care guideline for community acquired pneumonia in children 60 days through 17 years of age. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2006
• Management of community-acquired pneumonia in the home: an American College of Chest Physicians clinical position statement, 2005
• Guidelines for the Management of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Childhood. British Thoracic Society, 2002
• Guidelines for the Management of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Adults. British Thoracic Society, 2004
• Chest Infections. PRODIGY, 2005

Systematic reviews

• Vitamin C for preventing and treating pneumonia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2007
• Vitamin A for non-measles pneumonia in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2005
• Antibiotics for community acquired pneumonia in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2006
• Oral antibiotics versus parenteral antibiotics for severe pneumonia in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2006
• Comparison of early intravenous to oral switch amoxicillin/clavulanate with parenteral ceftriaxone in treatment of hospitalized patients with community acquired pneumonia. NHS EED, 2005
• A clinical and economic study of community-acquired pneumonia between single versus combination therapy. NHS EED, 2005

Recent articles in core journals

• Diagnosis and Treatment of Community-Acquired Pneumonia. American Family Physician, 2006
• Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Infants and Children. American Family Physician, 2004
• A validation and potential modification of the pneumonia severity index in elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia. J Am Geriatr Soc, 2006
• Development and Validation of a Clinical Prediction Rule for Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2006
• Procalcitonin Guidance of Antibiotic Therapy in Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Randomized Trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2006
• Effect of increasing the intensity of implementing pneumonia guidelines: a randomized, controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2005
• Statins and outcomes in patients admitted to hospital with community acquired pneumonia: population based prospective cohort study. BMJ, 2006
• Effectiveness of discontinuing antibiotic treatment after three days versus eight days in mild to moderate-severe community acquired pneumonia: randomised, double blind study. BMJ, 2006
• Effect of a clinical pathway to reduce hospitalizations in nursing home residents with pneumonia: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 2006

eTextbooks

• Merck Manual
• eMedicine
• GP Notebook

Clinical queries

• What are the typical antibiotics used to treat community acquired pneumonia? NLH Q&A Service, 2007
• Is there any indication for vaccination in patients who have had a previous community acquired pneumonia without underlying lung disease? NLH Q&A Service, 2006

Patient Information

• NHS Direct Online
• Better Health Channel
• BUPA Health Information
• Mayo Clinic