[Development of an instrument to assess the severity of community acquired pneumonia among hospitalized patients].

Background: Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) severity assessment is crucial.

Aim: To develop a practical clinical severity assessment model for stratifying immunocompetent adult patients hospitalized with CAP into different management groups.

Patients And Methods: During a 24 months period, 455 adult patients (250 male, mean age 69 +/- 19 years old) were evaluated.

[Herbal medicines and severe adverse effects: uvular angioedema caused by Echballium elaterium].

Herbal medicine is a growing alternative for established medicine. Many plants and herbs are currently in use for a myriad of diseases and symptoms. However, there are many reports in the literature of life-threatening adverse effects of these drugs.

[Community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized adult patients. Clinical presentation and prognostic factors].

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a serious health problem in Chile.

Aim: To study prognostic factors on admission and outcome of CAP, in immune competent adult patients, hospitalized in the Catholic University Clinical Hospital.

Patients And Methods: All adult patients admitted with a CAP in a period of 2 years were prospectively studied.

[Clinical usefulness of blood cultures in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia].

Background: The clinical role of blood cultures (BC) in the management of hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is controversial.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of blood cultures in CAP.

Material And Methods: We prospectively studied 244 immunocompetent adults with two or more BC obtained at admission.