Clinical presentations and outcome of severe community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: Severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) represents a frequent and potentially life-threatening condition. About 10% of all hospitalized patients with CAP require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and the mortality of these patients reaches 20-50%.
Objective: To evaluate the clinical presentation, bacteriological profile and outcome of severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP).
Patients and Methods: 54 patients presented by symptoms and sign of severe community acquired pneumonia who were admitted to respiratory care unit of Alhussein, Al-Azhar University Hospital from August 2015 to March 2016 were subjected to full clinical examination, chest X ray, complete blood picture, sputum and blood culture, PCR for suspected cases of Influenza H1N1 and MERS-COV, treatment, follow up, data collections and statistical analysis.
Results: The present study included 54 patients 26 males and 28 females with SCAP who were admitted to respiratory care unit of Alhussein, Al-Azhar University Hospital. The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The most common presentations were fever, cough, dyspnea and hypoxemia. Two patients developed renal failure and 4 patients developed septic shock. The most common isolated organism was Streptococcus pneumoniae , Influenza H1N1, and Staphylococcus aureus . Mortality was 24% and it was common in patients with comorbidity than in patients without comorbidities.
Conclusion: SCAP occurs more frequently in those with comorbidities. The most frequent isolated causative organism of SCAP is S. pneumoniae , Influenza H1N1 and S. aureus . SCAP is associated with significant mortality, early recognition and prompt treatment may improve outcome.
(© 2016 The Egyptian Society of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)