lung and airway disorders
Community Acquired Pneumonia
Treatment of Community Acquired Pneumonia
Antibiotics Sometimes antiviral drugs or antifungal drugs Doctors evaluate many factors to determine whether people can be safely treated at home or whether they should be hospitalized because of high risk of complications. Some of the factors include the following: Age Whether another disorder, such as cancer or a liver, heart, or lung disorder, is also present Whether there are worrisome findings on physical examination or testing Whether people are able to care for themselves or have someone to help them Antibiotics are started as soon as possible. Doctors may prescribe antibiotics based on the severity of the infection and the risk of complications (see table How Is Community-Acquired Pneumonia Treated? ). People are also given fluids, drugs to relieve fever and pain, and oxygen if needed. Because the causative organism is difficult to identify, doctors choose antibiotics based on the organisms that are most likely to be causing pneumonia and the severity of illness. With antibiotic treatment, most people with bacterial pneumonia improve. In people who do not improve, doctors look for an alternative diagnosis, unusual organisms, resistance to the antibiotic used for treatment, infection with a second organism, spread of the infection beyond the lung (for example, into the lining of the lung [pleura]), or some other disorder (such as a problem with the immune system or a blocked (obstructed) airway) that is delaying recovery. To treat influenza pneumonia, the antiviral drugsoseltamivir,zanamivir, or baloxavir can be given. To treat chickenpox pneumonia,acycloviris given. If a person with a presumed viral pneumonia is very sick or does not improve within a few days after beginning treatment, doctors may prescribe antibiotics in case bacteria have also infected the lung. To treat fungal pneumonia, antifungal drugs may be given. Sometimes doctors do follow-up chest x-rays about 6 weeks after treatment to make sure that any abnormal findings on chest x-ray have resolved. Follow-up may be more important in people who smoke and in older people to ensure that the abnormal findings seen on chest x-ray represent pneumonia only rather than an underlying cancer with pneumonia. 