![]() ![]() Several studies, two recent, are particularly noteworthy in respect of the outcome of patients hospitalised with severe CAP. Disappointingly, however, overall CAP-related mortality rates remain high, ranging from 5–50% according to geographic region ( 6, 7), with the elderly, not surprisingly, at particularly high risk ( 8- 11). Another possible contributory factor is the uptake of reliable, predictive clinical scoring systems, specifically the pneumonia severity index (PSI) and the CURB-65 ( 3- 5). Notwithstanding the increasing burden of CAP associated with high-risk, ageing populations, other factors which contribute to this increase in the rate of ICU admissions include improved access to modern health care facilities equipped with sophisticated diagnostic and life-support technologies and staffed by highly-trained critical care physicians and nursing personnel. Indeed CAP represents one of the leading causes of admission to ICU, with between 13% and 22% of patients hospitalised with CAP having been reported to require ICU admission ( 4). ![]() The increasing frequency of CAP in developed countries, predominantly among the aged, has been paralleled by a growing rate of admissions to intensive care units (ICUs), which has increased significantly over the past 2–3 decades ( 3). A similar situation exists in the United States of America ( 2). In Western Europe, which is experiencing progressive population ageing, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of death due to infection, with approximately 90% of the mortality in adults occurring in those aged >65 years ( 1). Department of Internal Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa. Policy of Dealing with Allegations of Research MisconductĬorrespondence to: Prof.Policy of Screening for Plagiarism Process.
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