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Query: UMLS:C0023241 (Legionella)
 6,990 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The spectrum of pathogens and the microbiologic investigations used to obtain a diagnosis in 178 patients with severe pneumonia (88 percent requiring intermittent positive-pressure ventilation) are reviewed. Ninety-five patients had primary pneumonia, 31 had nosocomial pneumonia, 24 were immunocompromised patients, and 28 had aspiration pneumonia. While the spectrum of isolates conformed to the usual patterns for the different types of pneumonia, the incidence of Gram-positive infections (15 percent), predominantly Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, (8 percent), and Legionella pneumophila (5 percent) in primary pneumonia was much higher than in community or general hospital-based studies, and only one case of Mycoplasma pneumoniae was identified. Gram stain of sputum or tracheal aspirate taken on intubation in primary pneumonia was reliably predictive of the causative organisms in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative infections when compared with infections proven by blood culture. Serologic studies were valuable in patients in whom no positive microbiologic diagnosis was evident; however, fiberoptic bronchoscopy contributed minimally to the microbiologic diagnosis in this group of patients. The cause of severe primary pneumonia differs from less severe disease, and this should be recognized when selecting empiric antibiotic therapy.
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PMID:Etiology and diagnosis of pneumonia requiring ICU admission. 841 24

In view of their antimicrobial activity and pharmacological properties, fluoroquinolones should be suitable for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections. The overall clinical success rate using enoxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, and ciprofloxacin ranges from 81% to 89%. Despite relatively high MICs of the fluoroquinolones for Streptococcus pneumoniae, the clinical success rate of these drugs in pneumococcal infections is 91%, but the eradication rate of this pathogen is lower (73%). In addition, fluoroquinolones appeared to be as effective as standard antibiotic regimens for treatment of bronchopulmonary infections in most of the comparative trials reported. The new quinolones could be a good alternative for treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, especially if examination of the sputum reveals gram-negative pathogens. In community-acquired pneumonia, drugs other than quinolones seem indicated because of the limited efficacy of the new quinolones in the treatment of severe pneumococcal infections and the poor activity of these drugs against the anaerobic flora causing aspiration pneumonia. In contrast, new quinolones should be very suitable for treatment of nosocomial pulmonary infections due to gram-negative pathogens. Quinolones used with or without erythromycin and rifampin, might be useful in the treatment of Legionnaires' disease. The role of these drugs in treatment of Chlamydia and Rickettsiae infections remains to be defined.
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PMID:Role of quinolones in the treatment of bronchopulmonary infections, particularly pneumococcal and community-acquired pneumonia. 186 91

Eight patients with disseminated Hodgkin's disease resistant to MOPP (mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone) chemotherapy were treated with high-dose chemoradiotherapy and marrow transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling. Two patients remain alive in unmaintained complete remission (CR) at 38 and 39 months after transplant. In the other six patients, reasons for failure included relapse of lymphoma (two patients), or death due to complications of the transplant procedure, including Legionnaire's disease, disseminated zoster, graft-v-host disease, and aspiration pneumonia secondary to severe mucositis. These results demonstrate that some patients with MOPP-resistant Hodgkin's disease can obtain prolonged CR following intensive chemoradiotherapy and allogeneic marrow transplantation.
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PMID:Allogeneic marrow transplantation in the treatment of MOPP-resistant Hodgkin's disease. 241 10

Oral quinolones such as ciprofloxacin are promising agents in the treatment of serious bronchopulmonary infections due to susceptible gram-negative micro-organisms such as Haemophilus influenzae, Branhamella catarrhalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and even Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Their moderative activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae may limit the use of these agents in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and in the empiric management of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Further prospectively designed studies are needed to address this issue. The ability of quinolones to effectively penetrate bronchial mucosa and to be concentrated within macrophages may afford additional advantage to these agents. They should not be used as a sole agent in the treatment of aspiration pneumonia nor anaerobic pleuropulmonary disease. Quinolones are very active in experimental models of Legionnaire's disease and deserve further clinical study. Ciprofloxacin is a promising alternative to standard parenteral drugs in the management of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in adults with cystic fibrosis. The potential for drug interactions with theophylline must be kept in mind for patients on both of these drugs.
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PMID:Role of fluoroquinolones in lower respiratory tract infections. 292 Apr 82

The guidelines used in Dutch hospitals for the treatment of pneumonia as described in antibiotic formularies are described. A total of 42 formularies were examined. Amoxycillin was the most frequently used agent in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia and a wide variety of drugs was used for the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia, of which cefuroxime, alone or in combination with an aminoglycoside, was used most often. Benzylpenicillin was the most frequently used drug in community-acquired aspiration pneumonia; this drug, in combination with an aminoglycoside, was also the drug of choice in hospital-acquired aspiration pneumonia. Treatment of pneumonias with known or presumed pathogens was also surveyed and the most usual drugs of choice were benzylpenicillin for pneumococci, flucloxacillin for staphylococci, amoxycillin for Haemophilus influenzae, cefuroxime for Enterobacteriaceae (cefuroxime), cotrimoxazole for Pneumocystis carinii, doxycycline and erythromycin for Mycoplasma pneumoniae and erythromycin for Legionella pneumophila. Relatively wide variations in dosage guidelines were observed for benzylpenicillin and amoxycillin. Only a few formularies gave guidelines for the duration of treatment.
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PMID:Antibiotic policies in Dutch hospitals for the treatment of pneumonia. 782 19

Immunocompromised patients develop infections resulting from a wide range of organisms. The most commonly encountered type of infection is bacterial in origin. Many of the infections are community-acquired pneumonias in which most of the infections are caused by organisms that typically produce disease in the healthy person. Hospital-acquired pneumonias are particularly serious, being caused by the highly virulent gram-negative bacilli and Staphylococcus aureus. Immunocompromised patients frequently have indwelling intravascular catheters. These catheters may become infected and seed the lung with septic emboli, producing a hematogenous pneumonia. Underlying conditions and therapy increase the risk for aspiration in the immunocompromised patient. These aspirations can result in the development of an aspiration pneumonia and lung abscess formation. The majority of pneumonias resulting from Legionella and Nocardia occur in immunocompromised patients.
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PMID:Bacterial pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. 979 34

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has published guidelines for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Although Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the most common etiologic agent, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila are also important causes. For all suspected CAP patients, particularly those requiring hospitalization, chest radiographs are strongly recommended to confirm the diagnosis. The IDSA guidelines, in contrast to those published by the American Thoracic Society, emphasize the use of sputum Gram's stain and culture in all patients, whenever possible, to establish etiology. This information can be used not only to guide therapy but also to track trends in the etiologic pathogens for CAP and their antibiotic susceptibility. In light of the better outcomes with the earliest possible interventions, the IDSA recommends initial empiric antimicrobial therapy until laboratory results can be obtained to guide more specific therapy. Macrolides, doxycycline, and fluoroquinolones are suggested for primary empiric therapy, since each has activity against common bacterial pathogens and atypical agents. Detailed antibiotic recommendations are made for various pathogens. For inpatients, attempts should be made to cover Legionella and other common pathogenic bacteria. Alternative antibiotics are recommended for patients with structural diseases of the lung, penicillin allergy, or suspected aspiration pneumonia. Switch to an appropriate oral antibiotic is recommended as soon as the patient's condition is stable and he or she can tolerate oral therapy, often within 72 h.
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PMID:Treatment of community-acquired pneumonia--IDSA guidelines. Infectious Diseases Society of America. 1008 53

In a prospective study, the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was investigated among consecutive patients admitted to an academic, urban public hospital in Seattle. The study population was uniquely young, was predominantly male, and had high rates of homelessness, cigarette smoking, alcoholism, injection drug use, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Leading causes of CAP among HIV-negative patients were aspiration, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Legionella species, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Among HIV-positive patients, Pneumocystis carinii, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, S. pneumoniae, and M. pneumoniae were the most common etiologic agents. Severe CAP was associated with typical bacterial infections and aspiration pneumonia but not Legionella infection among HIV-negative patients and with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections among HIV-positive patients. These findings emphasize the need to tailor empirical antibiotic therapy according to local patient populations and individual risk factors and highlight the importance of recognizing underlying HIV infection in patients who are hospitalized with CAP.
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PMID:The etiology of community-acquired pneumonia at an urban public hospital: influence of human immunodeficiency virus infection and initial severity of illness. 1144 51

We performed an observational analysis of prospectively collected data on 1,474 adult patients who were hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia; 1,169 patients were under 80 years of age and 305 (21%) patients were over 80 years ("very elderly"). Mean patient ages were 60 years in the former group and 85 years in the latter group. Severely immunosuppressed patients and nursing-home residents were not included. Comorbidities significantly associated with older age were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart disease, and dementia. The most common causative organism was Streptococcus pneumoniae (23% in both groups). Aspiration pneumonia was more frequent in the very elderly (5% in younger patients versus 10% in the very elderly); Legionella pneumophila (8% in younger patients versus 1% in the very elderly) and atypical agents (7% in younger patients versus 1% in the very elderly) were rarely recorded in the very elderly. While very elderly patients complained less frequently of pleuritic chest pain, headache, and myalgias, they were more likely to have absence of fever and altered mental status on admission. No significant differences were observed between groups as regards incidence of classic bacterial pneumonia syndrome (60% versus 59%) in 343 patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. The development of inhospital complications (26% in younger versus 32% in very elderly patients) as well as early mortality (2% in younger versus 7% in very elderly patients) and overall mortality (6% in younger versus 15% very elderly patients) were significantly higher in very elderly patients. Acute respiratory failure and shock/multiorgan failure were the most frequent causes of death, especially of early mortality. Factors independently associated with 30-day mortality in the very elderly were altered mental status on admission (odds ratio, 3.69), shock (odds ratio, 10.69), respiratory failure (odds ratio, 3.50), renal insufficiency (odds ratio, 5.83), and Gram-negative pneumonia (odds ratio, 20.27).
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PMID:Community-acquired pneumonia in very elderly patients: causative organisms, clinical characteristics, and outcomes. 1279 2

Elderly patients are at increased risk of developing lower respiratory tract infections compared with younger patients. In this population, pneumonia is a serious illness with high rates of hospitalisation and mortality, especially in patients requiring admission to intensive care units (ICUs). A wide range of pathogens may be involved depending on different settings of acquisition and patient's health status. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common bacterial isolate in community-acquired pneumonia, followed by Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and atypical pathogens such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. However, elderly patients with comorbid illness, who have been recently hospitalised or are residing in a nursing home, may develop severe pneumonia caused by multidrug resistant staphylococci or pneumococci, and enteric Gram-negative bacilli, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, anaerobes may be involved in aspiration pneumonia. Timely and appropriate empiric treatment is required in order to enhance the likelihood of a good clinical outcome, prevent the spread of antibacterial resistance and reduce the economic impact of pneumonia. International guidelines recommend that elderly outpatients and inpatients (not in ICU) should be treated for the most common bacterial pathogens and the possibility of atypical pathogens. The algorithm for therapy is to use either a selected beta-lactam combined with a macrolide (azithromycin or clarithromycin), or to use monotherapy with a new anti-pneumococcal quinolone, such as levofloxacin, gatifloxacin or moxifloxacin. Oral (amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime axetil) and intravenous (sulbactam/ampicillin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime) beta-lactams are agents of choice in outpatients and inpatients, respectively. For patients with severe pneumonia or aspiration pneumonia, the specific algorithm is to use either a macrolide or a quinolone in combination with other agents; the nature and the number of which depends on the presence of risk factors for specific pathogens. Despite these recommendations, clinical resolution of pneumonia in the elderly is often delayed with respect to younger patients, suggesting that optimisation of antibacterial therapy is needed. Recently, some new classes of antibacterials, such as ketolides, oxazolidinones and streptogramins, have been developed for the treatment of multidrug resistant Gram-positive infections. However, the efficacy and safety of these agents in the elderly is yet to be clarified. Treatment guidelines should be modified on the basis of local bacteriology and resistance patterns, while dosage and/or administration route of each antibacterial should be optimised on the basis of new insights on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic parameters and drug interactions. These strategies should be able to reduce the occurrence of risk factors for a poor clinical outcome, hospitalisation and death.
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PMID:New developments in antibacterial choice for lower respiratory tract infections in elderly patients. 1497 35


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