Bacterial community-acquired pneumonia in older patients.
Pneumonia in the elderly remains a major source of morbidity and mortality in an age group that is growing in numbers. It remains unclear whether the propensity of older adults to develop community-acquired pneumonia represents an aging of host defenses, secondary effects of comorbid disease, or both. The signs and symptoms of pneumonia in the elderly are more subtle than in younger populations, which may lead to a delay in diagnosis. Although therapy for community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly is the same as for younger populations, mortality is higher, leading to an important role for prevention.
Donowitz
Gerald R
GR
Department of Medicine, Infectious Disease, University of Virginia Health System, University of Virginia, Box 800466, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. grd@virginia.edu
Cox
Heather L
HL
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends