Pneumonia in the elderly patients

Jung, Ki Suck

Abstract

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of major medical illness and leading causes of death in the elderly patients. They account for the majority of CAP-related hospital admission, and suffer from more severe degree of illness that often requires broad-spectrum antibiotics and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Recently, the incidence and mortality of CAP is rising. Therefore, the economic and clinical burden is expected to increase consistently at present time and also in the future. Although Streptococcus pneumoniae is still the most common pathogen identified, pneumonia in elderly patients is different from that in younger patients, with regard to the etiology, clinical course, and treatment response. The most striking characteristic of pneumonia in older patients is its clinical presentation: classic symptoms are often absent. Therefore, appropriate diagnosis and treatment can be delayed. When approaching the treatment for pneumonia in older patients, patients with healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) should be distinguished from those with CAP. Patients with HCAP are at high risk for multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens and tend to have much more severe illness due to multiple co-morbidities and decreased functional status, which are associated with poor outcome. Prevention should also be implemented, focusing on smoking cessation, aspiration prevention, and influenza and pneumococcal vaccination.