Linked Life Data

14658923

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/14658923

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
12
pubmed:dateCreated
2003-12-8
pubmed:abstractText
The treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children is empirical, being based on the knowledge of the etiology of CAP at different ages. As a result of currently available methods in everyday clinical practice, a microbe-specific diagnosis is not realistic in the majority of patients. Even the differentiation between viral, 'atypical' bacterial (Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Chlamydia pneumoniae) and 'typical' bacterial (Streptococcus pneumoniae) CAP is often not possible. Moreover, up to one-third of CAP cases seem to be mixed viral-bacterial or dual bacterial infections. Recent serologic studies have confirmed that S. pneumoniae is an important causative agent of CAP at all ages. M. pneumoniae is common from the age of 5 years onwards, and C. pneumoniae is common from the age of 10 years onwards. In addition to age, the etiology and treatment of CAP are dependent on the severity of the disease. Pneumococcal infections are predominant in children treated in hospital, and mycoplasmal infections are predominant in children treated at home.In ambulatory patients with CAP, amoxicillin (or penicillin V [phenoxymethylpenicillin]) is the drug of choice from the age of 4 months to 4 years, and at all ages if S. pneumoniae is the presumptive causative organism. Macrolides, preferably clarithromycin or azithromycin, are the first-line drugs from the age of 5 years onwards. In hospitalized patients who need parenteral therapy for CAP, cefuroxime (or penicillin G [benzylpenicillin]) is the drug of choice. Macrolides should be administered concomitantly if M. pneumoniae or C. pneumoniae infection is suspected. Radiologic findings and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels offer limited help for the selection of antibacterials; alveolar infiltrations and high CRP levels indicate pneumococcal pneumonia, but the lack of these findings does not rule out bacterial CAP. Most guidelines recommend antibacterials for 7-10 days (except azithromycin, which has a recommended treatment duration of 5 days). If no improvement takes place within 2 days, therapy must be reviewed.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
1174-5878
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
5
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
821-32
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2003
pubmed:articleTitle
Community-acquired pneumonia in children: issues in optimizing antibacterial treatment.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Paediatrics, Kuopio University and University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland. matti.korppi@kuh.fi
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review