Pneumonia Update for Emergency Clinicians

AbstractPurpose of ReviewMany new concepts in diagnosis, management, and risk stratification of patients with pneumonia have been described recently. The COVID pandemic made importance of viruses as dangerous pathogens of pneumonia quite clear while several non-invasive measures for patients with respiratory failure gained a more wide-spread usage.Recent FindingsStudies continue to examine feasibility of bedside ultrasound as a tool in accurate diagnosis of pneumonia in the emergency department, and several new antibiotics have been approved for treatment while others are in late-stage clinical trials. Additionally, the Infectious Diseases Society, American Thoracic Society, and their European counterparts published updated guidelines in recent years. For differences important to emergency medicine clinicians and new emphasis as compared to the prior guidelines, please see Table1. Several new antibiotics have been approved recently but remain relatively unknown to emergency clinicians as their use is frequently restricted to infectious disease specialists.Table 1Differences important to emergency medicine clinicians and new emphasis [8,16,18,19••,30,34]New recommendationsDifference with prior guidelines if anyCommentBlood and sputum cultures recommended in severe disease and in inpatients treated for MRSA orP. aeruginosaSimilar from the ED perspectiveClinical gestalt performs as well as various decision instruments in deciding who needs blood cultures [13]Obtaining procal...
Source: Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports - Category: Emergency Medicine Source Type: research