title: The microbiology of postobstructive pneumonia in lung cancer patients.
abstract: Recurrent pneumonias often occur in the setting of an airway obstruction and can be the presenting symptom of an undiagnosed malignancy. Little is known regarding the microbiology of these pneumonias making antibiotic therapy difficult to direct; however, the few studies available show these pneumonias to be polymicrobial. Examining the colonization patterns of at-risk populations such as patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and using techniques such as ultrasound and computed tomography-guided biopsies may help in the treatment of these pneumonias. The following review is presented to highlight the current medical knowledge as well as suggest areas for future evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Drexel University College of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Eastern Regional Medical Center, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hsu-Kim
authors.forename: Jeffrey B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hoag
authors.forename: Guang-Shin
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lund
mesh_terms: D001999:Bronchoscopy; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications*