pulmonary disorders
Community Acquired Pneumonia
Prognosis for Community Acquired Pneumonia
Short-term mortality is related to severity of illness. Mortality is < 1% in patients who are candidates for outpatient treatment. Mortality in hospitalized patients is 8%. Death may be caused by pneumonia itself, progression to Sepsis and Septic Shock , or exacerbation of coexisting conditions. In patients hospitalized for pneumonia, risk of death is increased during the year after hospital discharge. Mortality varies to some extent by pathogen. Mortality rates are highest with gram-negative bacteria and CA-MRSA. However, because these pathogens are relatively infrequent causes of community-acquired pneumonia,S. pneumoniaeremains the most common cause of death in patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Atypical pathogens such asMycoplasmahave a good prognosis. Mortality is higher in patients who do not respond to initial empiric antibiotics and in those whose treatment regimen does not conform with guidelines. 