Swedish guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia in immunocompetent adults

This document presents the evidence-based guidelines of the Swedish Society of Infectious Diseases for the management of adult immunocompetent patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), who are assessed at hospital. The prognostic score 'CURB-65' is recommended for all CAP patients in the emergency room. The score provides an assessment tool for the decision regarding outpatient treatment or level of hospital supervision, the choice of microbiological investigations, and empirical antibiotic treatment. In patients with non-severe CAP (CURB-65 score 0-2) we recommend initial narrow-spectrum antibiotic treatment, orally or intravenously, primarily directed at Streptococcus pneumoniae. In those with CURB-65 score 3, penicillin G or a cephalosporin intravenously is recommended. For CURB-65 score 0-3 atypical pathogens should be covered only when they are suspected on clinical or epidemiological grounds. In patients with CURB-65 score 4-5 intravenous combination therapy with either cephalosporin/macrolide or penicillin G/fluoroquinolone is recommended. Efforts should be made to identify the CAP aetiology in order to support the ongoing antibiotic treatment or to suggest treatment alterations. Recommended measures for prevention of CAP include influenza -- and pneumococcal -- vaccination to risk groups and efforts for smoking cessation.     

Improving the implementation of community-acquired pneumonia guidelines

Best practice guidelines define the essential elements of care. They can improve the treatment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Although guidelines advocating these elements are readily avail-able, the care received by patients with CAP remains heterogeneous. In the present report, the use of a -computer-based assistant to decision-making was -successfully developed and tested, improving the application of well-known guidelines.     

社区获得性肺炎诊治指南的变迁

社区获得性肺炎(CAP)是威胁人类健康的常见感染之一,全球各专业组织为优化CAP诊治策略,主要在以下4个方面对指南进行了更新:(1)CAP严重程度的分类.(2)患者初始接受治疗的场所.(3)监测耐药菌株的重要性.(4)非典型病原体越发引人关注.相应的抗菌药物在CAP诊治指南中地位也发生了一些改变,氟喹诺酮的地位在各国指南中均得到肯定.并且基于CAP治疗应覆盖非典型病原体的理念,对我国非典型病原体耐药现状进行了展望,以期在今后指南更新中作为参考.     

Revised SWAB guidelines for antimicrobial therapy of community-acquired pneumonia

The Dutch Working Party on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB) develops evidence-based guidelines, aimed at optimalisation of antibiotic use and limitation of the spread of antimicrobial resistance. A revision of the SWAB guideline for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), published in 1998, was considered necessary because of changes in resistance patterns and new insights into the epidemiology, diagnostics and treatment of CAP. In contrast to the former version, this guideline is transmural and has been drawn up according to the recommendations for evidence-based guideline development by a multidisciplinary committee consisting of experts from all relevant professional societies. The 'severity of disease' exhibited by the patient with pneumonia on admission is considered important for the choice of the optimum empirical treatment strategy. Severely ill patients are treated empirically with a drug directed against multiple potential pathogens, including Legionella spp. Classification according to 'severity of disease' can be accomplished with a validated scoring system (Pneumonia Severity Index or CURB-65 score) or pragmatically, based on the site of treatment: an outpatient setting, a clinical ward or an intensive care unit. The Legionella urine antigen test plays an important role in decisions on the choice of initial antibiotic treatment.     

Comparison of five guidelines of community-acquired pneumonia]

The aim of this retrospective study was to elucidate the characteristics of five guidelines of community-acquired pneumonia: ATS (1993), ATS (2001), IDSA (1998), IDSA (2000) and the guidelines of the Japan Respiratory Society (2000). One hundred community-acquired pneumonia patients admitted to the International Medical Center of Japan were investigated in accordance with each set of guidelines based on the physical, laboratory, and chest radiography findings on the first day of treatment. According to the ATS (1993) guidelines, 33% of the cases were classified as "severe" pneumonia. On the other hand, according to the ATS (2001) guidelines, only 8% of the cases were classified as "severe" pneumonia. According to the IDSA guidelines, 35% of the patients were classified as "outpatients". Fluoroquinolone appears to be a very important antibiotic drug in the new guidelines of both ATS and IDSA. The scoring system of IDSA suggested a correlation between the patient's score and the pathogenic bacteria. According to the guidelines of the Japan Respiratory Society, 42% of the cases were classified as "severe" pneumonia. There are evident differences between these guidelines, and clinicians need to have a full understanding of their respective characteristics.     

The JRS guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults: an update and new recommendations

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) continues to be a major medical problem. Since CAP is a potentially fatal disease, early appropriate antibiotic treatment is vital. Epidemiologic studies have shown that in the combined cause-of-death category, pneumonia ranks fourth as the leading cause of death in Japan. Therefore, the Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) provided guidelines for the management of CAP in adults in 2000. Because of evolving resistance to antimicrobials and advances in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of CAP, it is felt that an update should be provided every three years so that important developments can be highlighted and pressing questions can be answered. Thus, the guidelines committee updated its guidelines in 2005. The basic policy and main purposes of the JRS guidelines include; 1) prevention of bacterial resistance and 2) effective and long-term use of medical resources. The JRS guidelines have recommended the exclusion of potential and broad spectrum antibiotics, fluoroquinolones and carbapenems, from the list of first-choice drugs for empirical treatment. In addition, the JRS guidelines have recommended short-term usage of antibiotics of an appropriate dose and pathogen-specific treatment using rapid diagnostic methods if possible.     

Aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized adult patients in New Caledonia

Objective To describe the aetiology of community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) in hospitalized adult patients in New Caledonia, a French archipelago in the South Pacific. Methods Confirmed CAP patients (n = 137) were enrolled prospectively. Pathogens were detected by culture, molecular methods, serology on paired sera, immunofluorescence on nasopharyngeal swabs and antigen detection in urine. Results The aetiology of CAP was determined in 82 of 137 cases (59.8%), of which 31 exhibited two or more pathogens (37.8%). Hundred and seventeen pathogens were detected: Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common one (41.0%), followed by influenza virus A (22.1%) and Haemophilus influenzae (10.2%). The frequency of atypical bacteria was low (6.0%). The most frequent and significant coinfection was S. pneumoniae with influenza A virus (P = 0.004). Influenza virus was detected from nasopharyngeal swabs in four patients (15.4% of patients tested for influenza) and by PCR from pulmonary specimens in 15 patients (57.7%). Conclusions Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of CAP in New Caledonian adults. Viral–bacterial co‐infections involving S. pneumoniae and influenza virus are very common during the winter. Such adult patients hospitalized with CAP are a clear sentinel group for surveillance of influenza. Vaccination against influenza and S. pneumoniae should be strengthened when risk factors are identified.     

Early switch to oral antibiotics and early discharge guidelines in the management of community-acquired pneumonia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The major cost of managing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) relates to the duration i.v. antibiotic use and length of hospital stay (LOS). Guidelines on early switch to oral antibiotics and early discharge from hospital may help to achieve a unified approach to managing CAP. The aim of this study was to assess the benefits and safety of these guidelines in an Australian respiratory medicine unit. METHODS: This prospective study included consecutive patients admitted with a diagnosis of CAP over a 6-month period. Early switch to oral antibiotics and early discharge guidelines were implemented one month prior to the evaluation period. Comparison was made to a retrospective control group admitted before the guidelines were implemented. Data collection included patient demographics, clinical and outcome parameters, duration of i.v. antibiotics and LOS. Thirty-day outcomes on patient safety and satisfaction were collected from the prospective group. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-five patients in the prospective group were compared to 100 patients in the controls. Baseline characteristics were similar between the comparison groups. Both the mean duration of i.v. antibiotics used (3.38 +/- 0.22 vs. 3.99 +/- 0.28 days, P = 0.03) and LOS (7.62 +/- 0.60 vs. 8.36 +/- 0.55 days, P = 0.04) were significantly shorter in the prospective group. Thirty-day readmission rate was 6% and patient self-reported overall satisfaction was 93.9% in those who were followed up. CONCLUSIONS: The use of early switch and early discharge guidelines for CAP reduced the duration of i.v. antibiotics and LOS while maintaining high levels of safety and patient satisfaction.     

Do guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia improve the cost-effectiveness of hospital care?

There is growing pressure to demonstrate the value of practice guidelines. We have reviewed the evidence that guidelines for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) change current practices and that the standardization of practices reduces costs and/or improves outcome. The most obvious barrier to implementation of the guidelines is lack of knowledge about their content; equally important are the attitudes and behavior of professionals, patients, and their caregivers. Guidelines may improve the outcome of CAP, provided that there is an association between variations in outcome and some specific processes of care. Conversely, when there is no such relationship, guidelines may reduce the cost of care without having an adverse effect on outcome. The cost-effectiveness of CAP guidelines in an individual hospital depends on the systems that are available to identify patients with CAP and to measure the processes of care. There is good evidence that following the recommendations of the CAP guidelines does improve the cost-effectiveness of care and, therefore, that an audit of CAP may be worth the effort.     

Influence of deviation from guidelines on the outcome of community-acquired pneumonia

STUDY OBJECTIVE:s: Consensus guidelines for the empirical treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) have been published. We investigated the following factors: (1) the degree of adherence to American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) guidelines; and (2) the influence of adhering to these guidelines on mortality and length of hospitalization. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: Tertiary-care teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Two hundred ninety-five patients with CAP who were consecutively admitted to the hospital and treated empirically. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were stratified according to the prognostic rule of Fine, and the antibiotic regimen prescribed in the first 24 h was evaluated as to whether or not it adhered to treatment guidelines. RESULTS: Adherence to SEPAR and ATS guidelines was 66% and 88%, respectively. There were no significant differences in mortality or duration of hospitalization between adherent and nonadherent regimens. However, mortality in severe CAP (Fine risk class V) was significantly higher in patients with nonadherent treatments (SEPAR: relative risk [RR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 5.6; ATS: RR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1 to 5.8). In a multivariate analysis, adherence to ATS guidelines was independently associated with decreased mortality (RR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.9) after adjusting for the Fine score. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence was higher to ATS guidelines than to SEPAR guidelines. Severe CAP had a significantly higher mortality when the guidelines (both ATS and SEPAR) were not followed. Length of hospitalization was similar irrespective of adherence to either set of guidelines.     

The management of community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly

Pneumonia is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. The elderly population has exponentially increased in the last decades and the current epidemiological trends indicate that it is expected to further increase. Therefore, recognizing the special needs of older people is of paramount importance. In this review we address the main differences between elderly and adult patients with pneumonia. We focus on several aspects, including the atypical clinical presentation of pneumonia in the elderly, the methods to assess severity of illness, the appropriate setting of care, and the management of comorbidities. We also discuss how to approach the common complications of severe pneumonia, including acute respiratory failure and severe sepsis. Moreover, we debate whether or not elderly patients are at higher risk of infection due to multi-drug resistant pathogens and which risk factors should be considered when choosing the antibiotic therapy. We highlight the differences in the definition of clinical stability and treatment failure between adults and elderly patients. Finally, we review the main outcomes, preventive and supportive measures to be considered in elderly patients with pneumonia.     

Cost-effectiveness analysis of ambulatory treatment for adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia: according to Japanese Respiratory Society guidelines]

The Japanese Respiratory Society has recently formulated practice guidelines for the management of adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia. The guidelines recommend the use of various oral antibiotics at individual physicians' discretion. We compared the cost-effectiveness of amoxicillin/clavulanate (AMPC/CVA), azithromycin (AZM), clarithromycin (CAM), cefdinir (CFDN), levofloxacin (LVFX), and minocycline (MINO), when used on an ambulatory basis. We performed a formal cost-effectiveness analysis from the perspective of direct cost payers in the framework of the Japanese medical system. Outcomes considered were quality-adjusted life days (QALD), costs per patient, and incremental costs per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Under baseline conditions, the effectiveness of MINO, AZM, CAM, and LVFX were on a par and higher than that of AMPC/CVA or CFDN by 125-290.5 QALD. The least expensive antibiotic was MINO (55,070 to 59,208 yen), followed by AZM (56,049 to 60,188 yen), CAM (56,171 to 60,309 yen), LVFX (61,988 to 66,127 yen). AMPC/CVA (122,432 to 133,797 yen), and CFDN (123,375 to 134,649 yen). Thus, MINO, AZM, and CAM were cost-effective antibiotics for adults with community-acquired pneumonia. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the initial success rate of each antibiotic was crucial in determining cost-effectiveness. When the number of times antibiotics are taken in a day and the period of therapy were taken into account, AZM was most beneficial with 917,179-1,152,694 yen (US$ 7,643-9,606) per additional QALY over MINO in patients without comorbidity. This result, however, was not applicable to patients with chronic lung disease. MINO was the least expensive and the most cost-effective in empirically treating adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia on an ambulatory basis. AZM provides a higher quality of life for adults without comorbidity with generally acceptable marginal cost.     

A teaching hospital's experience applying the Pneumonia Severity Index and antibiotic guidelines in the management of community-acquired pneumonia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) was developed to predict mortality in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). It has been prospectively validated to identify patients who are at low risk of death and thereby aid in the selection of patients for outpatient management. This study assessed the compliance of medical staff at a university teaching hospital with the use of the PSI and the PSI-based local antibiotic guidelines in admitted patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 137 consecutive adults admitted with a primary diagnosis of CAP between July and December 2003. Implementation of the PSI and local antibiotic guidelines occurred 4 months prior to the study period. The data collected included patient demographics, PSI parameters, patient outcomes, adherence and compliance with the PSI scoring process and local antibiotic guidelines. RESULTS: Forty per cent of all CAP admissions were patients in PSI Class I to III. The compliance with scoring the PSI was low (45 out of 137 patients; 33%), as was the accuracy of the PSI scoring (26 out of 45 patients; 58%). Compliance with the local antibiotic guidelines was 87% in patients in whom the PSI was performed. CONCLUSIONS: In admitted patients, non-adherence with the PSI admission guidelines was common. Compliance with scoring the PSI and its scoring accuracy was low. This may be due to a lack of awareness and its relative complexity. Further studies to identify potential barriers to compliance are warranted.