A 55-year-old Caucasian woman with scleroderma presented to the hospital in February 2009 with severe dyspnea. She felt well until 1 week prior, when she developed fevers, chills, and an intermittent dry cough.
A 55-year-old man presented with fevers, cough, and confusion. He has a history of an idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and had a cardiac transplant 3 years ago (cytomegalovirus status is donor-negative, recipient-positive).
A previously healthy 23-year-old white male developed progressive cough and mild shortness of breath. The cough initially was associated with a small amount of yellowish sputum, then became nonproductive but more severe. He was seen by his primary care physician and a chest radiograph showed a right lower lobe infiltrate.
The number of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) who are being treated at home is increasing for a variety of reasons. These reasons include the increased availability and cost considerations of oral antibiotics that have been shown to be effective, as well as the consideration of patient and family preferences. However, there is still considerable variability in strategies for the management of patients with CAP.
American College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society. Institutional control measures for tuberculosis in the era of multiple drug resistance: ACCP/ATS Consensus Conference