[Predictive value of history and physical examination for the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in adults].

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia in adults is a serious health problem in the ambulatory care setting.

Aim: To define clinical variables associated with the presence of pneumonia in adult patients presenting with fever or respiratory symptoms to the emergency department.

Material And Methods: Prospective study carried out in the emergency department from the Catholic University Hospital in Santiago, Chile.

[Assessment of the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults outpatients].

Background: There is limited information about the effectiveness of the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Chilean emergency rooms.

Aim: To assess the treatment of CAP in emergency rooms at the Viña del Mar Health Service in Chile.

Material And Methods: Prospective study of immunocompetent adult patients consulting for a CAP in emergency rooms.

[Treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in adults].

Unlabelled: Appropriate antibiotic treatment reduces the duration of symptoms associated to pneumonia, the risk of complications and mortality. In most cases, it is not possible to identify the etiologic agent so antibiotic treatment is empirically prescribed. In Chile, one third of Streptococcus pneumoniae strain isolates has diminished susceptibility to penicillin; in-vitro erythromycin resistance is about 10-15% and cefotaxime resistance 2-10%.

[Antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae in pediatric and adult population from Santiago, 1997-2003].

Background: In Chile, the emergence of drug-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae has complicated treatment decisions and may lead to treatment failures.

Aim: to examine antimicrobial resistance trends among pneumococcal isolates from the Catholic University Hospital between 1997 and 2003.

Material And Methods: During a seven-year period, we examined 901 strains of S.