Advances in molecular diagnostic tests for pneumonia.

Purpose Of Review: Pneumonia is the main global cause of sepsis, and has been associated with high morbidity and high short and long-term mortality rates. As it may be caused by a wide spectrum of microorganisms, microbial diagnosis is challenging and the choice of adequate therapy remains an important problem. This review focuses on recently published studies of microbiological diagnostic tests and clinical assessments for pneumonia, including community-acquired pneumonia, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Risk and Prognostic Factors in Very Old Patients with Sepsis Secondary to Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Little is known about risk and prognostic factors in very old patients developing sepsis secondary to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We conducted a retrospective observational study of data prospectively collected at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona over a 13-year period. Consecutive patients hospitalized with CAP were included if they were very old (≥80 years) and divided into those with and without sepsis for comparison.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome in mechanically ventilated patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Our aim was to assess the incidence, characteristics, aetiology, risk factors and mortality of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) using the Berlin definition.We prospectively enrolled consecutive mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients with CAP over 20 years, and compared them with mechanically ventilated patients without ARDS. The main outcome was 30-day mortality.

The Effect of Macrolide Resistance on the Presentation and Outcome of Patients Hospitalized for Streptococcus pneumoniae Pneumonia.

Rationale: There are conflicting reports describing the effect of macrolide resistance on the presentation and outcomes of patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the effect of macrolide resistance on the presentation and outcomes of patients with pneumococcal pneumonia.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational study in the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona of all adult patients hospitalized with pneumonia who had positive cultures for S.