engleski

Respiratory Tract Infections: Treatment Challenges

Severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated in intensive care units (ICU) represents a great therapeutic challenge. There is growing evidence on the importance of atypical pathogens and combined infections as causes of severe CAP. Data from our single-center study show that Legionella and atypical pathogens are associated with over 20% of CAP. That is why combined ceftriaxone and parenteral azithromycin therapy became a standard treatment in our ICU. This is congruent with majority of contemporary treatment guidelines which recognized the importance of a combined treatment of CAP. Evidences on the role of atypical pathogens, particularly C. pneumoniae, in the etiology of nosocomial pneumonia (NP), including ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), are also emerging. These pathogens are not so well recognized as possible pathogens and considered in present treatment guidelines of NP. Further surveillance is needed which might change our initial therapeutic approach in patients with NP.

community-acquired pneumonia; intensive care unit; ventilator-associated pneumonia; nosocomial pneumonia

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