Community-acquired pneumonia - factors influencing intensive care admission

dc.contributor.authorVan Eeden, S. F.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorCoetzee, A. R.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorJoubert, J. R.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2011-03-18T14:59:36Z
dc.date.available2011-03-18T14:59:36Z
dc.date.issued1988-01
dc.descriptionCITATION: Van Eeden, SF., Coetzee, A.R. & Joubert, J.R. 1988. Community-acquired pneumonia - factors influencing intensive care admission. S Afr Med J, 73:77-81.en_ZA
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaen_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe mortality rate in critically ill patients with pneumonia who receive invasive vital organ support, including mechanical ventilation, in an intensive care unit (ICU) remains above 50%. The contribution of these costly life support systems to the survival of patients with extensive pneumonia is a matter for debate. The high mortality rate in this group of patients can be attributed in part to the fact that they are frequently referred for ICU care when their condition has already deteriorated to the point of no return. A retrospective study over 18 months of 34 cases of community-acquired pneumonia (17 patients required ventilatory support in the respiratory ICU) was undertaken to identify criteria which would justify early admission to an ICU. These were first-line clinical and biochemical factors, three of which were present in all patients on admission to hospital: (i) bronchopneumonia or lobar pneumonia involving more than two lobes (P < 0.001); (ii) respiratory rate > 30/min (P < 0.001); and (iii) partial arterial oxygen pressure < 8 kPa (P < 0.001). Other systemic factors associated with a poor prognosis and admission to the ICU were clinical signs of septicaemia, abnormal liver function and low serum albumin value. A scoring system for severity of pneumonia based on these factors is proposed. The possibility of an improved prognosis in a potentially reversible disease can become a reality if this approach is employed prospectively.en_ZA
dc.description.versionPublisher’s version
dc.identifier.citationVan Eeden, SF., Coetzee, A.R. & Joubert, J.R. 1988. Community-acquired pneumonia - factors influencing intensive care admission. S Afr Med J, 73:77-81.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn2078-5135 (online)
dc.identifier.issn0256-9574 (print)
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/7933
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherHealth & Medical Publishing Groupen_ZA
dc.rights.holderSouth African Medical Journalen_ZA
dc.subjectlung diseaseen_ZA
dc.subjectpneumoniaen_ZA
dc.subjectintensive care unit -- ICUen_ZA
dc.titleCommunity-acquired pneumonia - factors influencing intensive care admissionen_ZA
dc.typeArticle
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