title: Usefulness of the Japanese Respiratory Society guidelines for community pneumonia: a retrospective analysis of community-acquired pneumonia between 2000 and 2002 in a general hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the causative organisms of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) diagnosed between 2000 and 2002 and to evaluate the Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 124 cases of CAP diagnosed during the study period were analyzed, and the results were compared with those of a previous study by the authors' research group. Determination of the causative organisms of CAP was based on Gram stain, morphology of colonies, quantitative culture of sputum, identification of bacterial isolates, and serological tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, the causative organisms were identified in 42 cases (33.8%). Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis were the major causative organisms. Patients were classified into three groups based on the severity of CAP according to the JRS guidelines. The survival rates of patients with moderate and severe CAP were significantly lower than those of the mild group as evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method (moderate vs mild, 70% vs 100%; severe vs mild, 40% vs 100%; P < 0.001 for both). Seven patients died during the study, and the risk factors were old age, bedridden status with cerebral infarction, and microaspiration, which was associated with recurrent pneumonia within 17 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that the JRS guidelines for CAP are useful for treating patients with CAP in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Tagami Hospital, Tagami, Nagasaki, Japan. k.motomura@themis.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Motomura
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onizuka
authors.forename: Akitsugu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furumoto
authors.forename: Norichika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Asoh
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oishi
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagatake
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015996:Survival Rate; D014505:Urban Population