Bacterial pneumonia medical therapy

Revision as of 14:03, 1 November 2012 by WikiBot (talk | contribs) (Robot: Automated text replacement (-mgibson@perfuse.org +charlesmichaelgibson@gmail.com & -kfeeney@perfuse.org +kfeeney@elon.edu))
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Pneumonia Main Page

Bacterial pneumonia Microchapters

Home

Patient Information

Overview

Historical Perspective

Pathophysiology

Causes

Differentiating Bacterial pneumonia from other Diseases

Epidemiology and Demographics

Risk Factors

Natural History, Complications and Prognosis

Diagnosis

History and Symptoms

Physical Examination

Laboratory Findings

Chest X Ray

CT

Other Imaging Findings

Other Diagnostic Studies

Treatment

Medical Therapy

Primary Prevention

Secondary Prevention

Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy

Future or Investigational Therapies

Case Studies

Case #1

Bacterial pneumonia medical therapy On the Web

Most recent articles

cited articles

Review articles

CME Programs

Powerpoint slides

Images

American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Bacterial pneumonia medical therapy

All Images
X-rays
Echo & Ultrasound
CT Images
MRI

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse

NICE Guidance

FDA on Bacterial pneumonia medical therapy

CDC onBacterial pneumonia medical therapy

Bacterial pneumonia medical therapy in the news

Blogs on Bacterial pneumonia medical therapy

to Hospitals Treating Bacterial pneumonia

Risk calculators and risk factors for Bacterial pneumonia medical therapy

Editor(s)-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753; Philip Marcus, M.D., M.P.H.[2]

Overview

Medical Therapy

Antibiotics are the treatment of choice for bacterial pneumonia. The antibiotic choice depends on the nature of the pneumonia, the microorganisms most commonly causing pneumonia in the geographical region, and the immune status and underlying health of the individual. In the United Kingdom, amoxicillin is used as first-line therapy in the vast majority of patients who acquire pneumonia in the community, sometimes with added clarithromycin. In North America, where the "atypical" forms of community-acquired pneumonia are becoming more common, clarithromycin, azithromycin, or fluoroquinolones as single therapy, have displaced the amoxicillin as first-line therapy. Local patterns of antibiotic-resistance should always be considered when initiating pharmacotherapy. In hospitalized individuals or those with immune deficiencies, local guidelines determine the selection of antibiotics. These antibiotics are typically given through an intravenous line.

Treatment of gram-positive organisms

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae - amoxicillin (or erythromycin in patients allergic to penicillin); cefuroxime and erythromycin in severe cases.
  • Staphylococcus aureus - flucloxacillin (to counteract the organism's β-lactamase)

Treatment of gram-negative organisms

Treatment of atypical organisms

Most atypical causes of pneumonia require treatment for 14-21 days.

People who have difficulty breathing due to pneumonia may require extra oxygen. An extremely sick individual may requireartificial ventilation and intensive care as life-saving measures while his or her immune system fights off the infectious cause with the help of antibiotics and other drugs.

References

Template:WH Template:WS