CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIA

Course overview

THREE SPECIES OF CHLAMYDIA NAMELY, C. PNEUMONIAE, C. PSITTACI, AND C. TRACHOMATIS ARE KNOWN TO CAUSE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN HUMANS. THEY ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA, AND CAN OFTEN BE DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE DUE TO ITS NONSPECIFIC CLINICAL PRESENTATION. WHILE SEROLOGY IS PREFERRED FOR CONFIRMATORY LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS, EMPIRIC ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY ON THE BASIS OF CLINICAL ASSESSMENT IS SUFFICIENT TO CURE THE ILLNESS. THE CLINICAL COURSE IS USUALLY MILD AND EASILY TREATED WITH APPROPRIATE ANTIBIOTICS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, CLINICAL PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, MANAGEMENT, AND OTHER RELEVANT DETAILS OF CHLAMYDIAL PNEUMONIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.