Pneumonia. Treatment and diagnosis

Pneumonia remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality despite advances in treatment and therapy. The "Pneumonia: Treatment and Diagnosis" session of the Pittsburgh International Lung Conference examined topics related to improving care of patients with pneumonia. These topics included the process and quality of care for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), diagnosis and treatment of emerging fungal pathogens, an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of different diagnostic modalities, and an example of how basic science is exploring immunomodulatory strategies for pneumonia treatment. Systematic health care provider and institutional improvements can decrease mortality rates in CAP, particularly in patients with increasingly complex comorbidities. Aspects of current guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of fungal pneumonia were reviewed through a series of case presentations. Proper treatment of pneumonia hinges on correct pathogen identification but is complicated by the variety of diagnostic assays with variable specificity, sensitivity, and interpretation. In addressing this topic, Dr. Patrick Murray, Ph.D., discussed a range of diagnostic tests for a variety of pathogens and guidelines for their use. In addition to the current state of CAP treatment, Bill (Beibei) Chen, M.D., Ph.D., presented a new potential therapeutic agent called forsythin, an immunomodulatory compound derived from a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. These topics, ranging from institution-sized policy to interactions at the molecular scale, paint a broad perspective of the efforts against pneumonia.