title: The scope of lower respiratory tract infection.
abstract: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are commonly classified as either bronchitis or pneumonia, and these infections are associated with an extremely high morbidity in the community, as well as a high mortality in those patients that require hospitalisation. Therefore, such infections place a huge burden, both economically and as a user of health services, on the entire health care system. The antibiotic treatment of community-acquired pneumonia caused by gram-negative organisms or staphylococci is controversial, and these organisms may cause one-third of the cases of community-acquired pneumonia. Nosocomial pneumonia is caused even more often by gram-negative bacteria, and as such the development of rational and effective antibiotic therapy to cover these organisms is very important.
authors.affiliation: King's Cross Hospital, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Winter
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents