Abstract
The outcome of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) depends on the interaction between
the infectious agent and the host response. Nowadays the etiology of CAP can be established
in ~60% of the cases, and Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the main etiological agent in outpatients, those hospitalized, or those requiring
intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Recently, the development of nucleic acid amplification
techniques has emphasized the role of viruses as important etiological agents in CAP.
However, some demographic factors and comorbidities will determine a higher risk of
pneumonia. Thus elderly patients or those with toxic habits (smoking, alcohol abuse),
and the presence of various comorbidities (respiratory, metabolic, or renal) favor
the development of pneumonia by altering the inflammatory response to infection.
Some medications like inhaled corticosteroids could play a role in CAP development
in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Fortunately some of these
risk factors are preventable and modifiable, for example, through smoking cessation
and pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations, which are the biggest successes.
Keywords
Streptococcus pneumoniae
- influenza - risk factors - COPD - vaccines
