Current opinion in infectious diseases
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Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2010
ReviewDefining and predicting severe community-acquired pneumonia.
Community-acquired pneumonia is a significant clinical and public health problem. Defining and predicting severe pneumonia is difficult but important. ⋯ Definitions of pneumonia severity depend on the relevant clinical or public health question. A health services reference definition seems most useful in most settings. The Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society 2007 guidelines and SMART-COP are two recent promising methods for predicting severe pneumonia at the time of presentation. The traditional pneumonia severity index and Confusion Uremia Respiratory rate Blood pressure (CURB)-65 models are less useful. Accurate assessment of severity has important implications for triage, outcome, and defining populations for research applications. Novel biomarkers, while somewhat promising, do not yet have a validated role in pneumonia severity assessment.
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Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2010
ReviewManagement of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia.
Staphylococcus aureus, and particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become an increasingly important etiology of pneumonia, both in healthcare and community settings. Associated with highest morbidity, mortality and costs in public health, it represents a major challenge for the management of this group of patients. ⋯ Overall, MRSA is an important cause of pneumonia; optimal management strategies for improving morbidity and mortality are still under development.