New guidelines for severe community-acquired pneumonia.

Abstract

We highlight the recent advances in the guidelines for treating patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP). sCAP is a significant cause of hospital admissions. We performed an extensive review of the literature, covering studies from the last several years, to summarise the most important points in the diagnosis and treatment of patients hospitalised with sCAP. sCAP is associated with a high clinical burden. Therefore, deep knowledge is necessary for its management. In general, diagnosis, treatment and management are based on many published guidelines. However, the mortality rate is still unacceptably high, indicating the need for clear recommendations in the management of patients with sCAP. The choice of empirical antibiotic therapy for sCAP depends on multiple factors, such as national and local antimicrobial susceptibility data and the characteristics of the patients, including their risk factors for acquiring infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. Currently, there are several published international guidelines. The aim of this review is to explore the areas that require further knowledge and new recommendations for current clinical practice.