Mycoplasma pneumonia and its complications.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae continues to be the most frequent cause of atypical pneumonia. Fortunately, the antibiotics listed in this article are generally very effective. Major skills are needed to detect M pneumoniae extrapulmonary diseases, which require a special heightened awareness and sensitivity.

Fever of unknown origin: historical and physical clues to making the diagnosis.

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) has fascinated and perplexed clinicians for over a century. No published guidelines exist on the approach to FUO, and studies have demonstrated that a diagnosis is never established in up to 30% of cases. A comprehensive history and physical examination are the keys to establishing a diagnosis in patient with FUO.

High-dose, short-course levofloxacin for community-acquired pneumonia: a new treatment paradigm.

Levofloxacin demonstrates concentration-dependent bactericidal activity most closely related to the pharmacodynamic parameters of the ratio of area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the ratio of peak plasma concentration (C(max)) to MIC. Increasing the dose of levofloxacin to 750 mg exploits these parameters by increasing peak drug concentrations, allowing for a shorter course of treatment without diminishing therapeutic benefit. This was demonstrated in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind investigation that compared levofloxacin dosages of 750 mg per day for 5 days with 500 mg per day for 10 days for the treatment of mild to severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Worldwide assessment of linezolid's clinical safety and tolerability: comparator-controlled phase III studies.

Linezolid, an oxazolidinone antibiotic, has 100% oral bioavailability and favorable activities against gram-positive pathogens including multidrug-resistant staphylococci, enterococci, and pneumococci. Safety assessments were conducted for 2,046 linezolid-treated patients and 2,001 comparator drug-treated patients from seven controlled clinical trials comparing the activities of linezolid and comparator drugs against nosocomial and community-acquired pneumonia, skin and skin structure infections, and methicillin-resistant staphylococcal infections. Drug-related adverse events were primarily transient.