Antibiotic therapy of life-threatening infectious diseases in the emergency department.
Initial therapy in acutely ill septic patients is necessarily empiric. Although a specific etiologic infectious diagnosis is rarely made in an acute situation, a treatment decision must be made and must be developed from history, physical examination, and minimal laboratory and roentgen studies. Three life-threatening syndromes are discussed: febrile-neutropenic patients with cancer, immunosuppressed patients with fever and lung infiltrates, and patients with acute community-acquired meningitis.
Lauter
C B
CB
Division of Infectious Diseases, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan 48072.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000380:Agranulocytosis; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005334:Fever / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008581:Meningitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents