title: Community-acquired pneumonia: 2012 history, mythology, and science.
abstract: Pneumonia remains one of the major disease entities practicing physicians must manage. It is a leading cause of infection-related morbidity and mortality in all age groups, and a leading cause of death in those older than 65 years of age. Despite its frequency and importance, clinical questions have remained in the therapy of community-acquired pneumonia including when to start antibiotics, when to stop them, who to treat, and what agents to use. Answers to these questions have involved historical practice, mythology, and science-sometimes good science, and sometimes better science. How clinical decisions are made for patients with community-acquired pneumonia serves as an illustrative model for other problem areas of medicine and allows for insight as to how clinical decisions have been made and clinical practice established.
authors.affiliation: GRD@VIRGINIA.EDU
authors.forename: Gerald R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Donowitz
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history* / Q000628:therapy; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015415:Biomarkers