The Journal of infection
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The Journal of infection · Sep 2011
ReviewImmunomodulatory agents in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia: a systematic review.
Despite the availability of excellent antibiotics, the mortality from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains substantial. Most deaths occur during the first week of hospitalization. Because antibiotics rapidly eradicate bacteria from pulmonary secretions, an ongoing inflammatory response may be responsible for the poor outcome, and treatment with immunomodulatory drugs might be beneficial in this setting. ⋯ Aspirin might also be of benefit in treating patients hospitalized for pneumonia because of its anti-inflammatory activity as well as its benefits in acute myocardial infarction. Treatment of CAP with corticosteroids has yielded mixed results and the value of this approach is not well established, although further research is currently underway. Ibuprofen is not of benefit in treating sepsis in humans and glitazones may increase the risk of severe pneumonia.