Community-acquired pneumonia in adults

Although the frequency of community-acquired pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae continues to be high, studies show that Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, or Legionella pneumophila are the etiologic agents in 20% to 40% of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. The clinical presentation of pneumonia caused by these organisms may be indistinguishable from pneumonia due to S pneumoniae. Separation of cases of pneumonia due to S pneumoniae as typical and that caused by M pneumoniae, C pneumoniae, or L pneumophila as atypical is unwarranted and unhelpful in planning therapy. As many as 35% to 50% of patients do not have an etiologic agent identified. Community-acquired pneumonia can have high morbidity and mortality in patients who are older, have underlying lung disease, diabetes mellitus, or other comorbid conditions, or who have decreased immune function regardless of the specific etiologic agent. In choosing appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy in hosts who are not immunocompromised, erythromycin and other macrolide antibiotics have the advantage of being effective against a wide range of pathogens likely to be encountered, including S pneumoniae, M pneumoniae, and L pneumophila, and of having some benefit against C pneumoniae. In other patients, the selection of antibiotic therapy can be based on age, clinical suspicion, epidemiologic data, and laboratory test results. Antimicrobial therapy can be directed at specific organisms when and if they are identified.