Management of Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Course overview

Pneumonia that develops in non-hospitalized patients is the most common infectious cause of death in the U.S. and ranks second among reasons for hospitalization. Persons over the age of 65 are at particularly high risk for pneumonia and about 85% of all pneumonia deaths occur in this population. Pneumonia is the most common cause of sepsis and early antibiotic therapy for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is important for preventing poor patient outcomes. However, recent studies suggest that 1 in 4 non-hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia are prescribed inappropriate treatment. This has contributed to the problem of antibiotic resistance and patient harm. Recently published guidelines for CAP include new and revised recommendations to address this problem. This course will discuss changing clinical practice guidelines for the management of pneumonia that develops in non-hospitalized patients.