title: In-hospital management of adults who have community-acquired pneumonia.
abstract: The initial in-hospital management of adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia can be divided into five major steps: an early recognition of the patient with presumptive pneumonia, assessment of the severity of illness, establishment of an etiologic diagnosis, supportive therapy, and decision regarding initiation of empirical therapy. In most European recommendations, the empirical antibiotic treatment is directed against "the most likely pathogen," based on epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data, and on the severity of illness. In contrast, newer North American guidelines have focused on the severity of illness of community-acquired pneumonia. As a consequence, the use of a broader initial antibiotic coverage, including extended-spectrum cephalosporins and combinations, seems to be more common in North America than in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortqvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins