Background: Pneumonia is a common disease with a high mortality rate, being the sixth leading cause of death among elderly people in the USA and the fifth among those in Brazil. Initial treatment of pneumonia is usually empirical since the ethiological agent is identified in only approximately 50% of cases. Therefore, several scientific societies have defined some guidelines for initial antimicrobial therapies. Objectives: This study evaluated adherence to the guidelines set forth by the Consenso Brasileiro sobre Pneumonias (Brazilian Consensus on Pneumonia) for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized elderly patients. Method: Fifty-four patients, aged 60 or over, hospitalized at Londrina University Hospital with community-acquired pneumonia between 2 August 1999 and 2 August 2000 were evaluated. Whether their treatment adhered or did not adhere to guidelines, the patients were compared in terms of 30-day mortality, average time for clinical stabilization, average length of hospital stay, cost of treatment and severity score. Results: The average age was 74.1, and 61.1% of the patients were treated in accordance with the Brazilian guidelines for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. There were no differences in length of hospital stays, cost of treatment, time to clinical stability and severity score between the two groups (adherent and non-adherent). However, there was a difference in mortality. The rate of mortality was higher in patients with pneumonia severity index (PSI) scores of IV or V who were treated according to the guidelines than in those with the same score whose treatment was non-adherent (p = 0.04). In general, PSI score was related to mortality. The mortality rate among patients with scores of II and III was 9.5%, compared with 30.3% in patients with scores of IV and V. Conclusion: Adherence to the Brazilian guidelines for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in elderly patients was satisfactory, and there was no difference in results between both groups, except for the higher mortality rate found for patients with higher PSI scores who were treated according to the guidelines. A positive correlation was found between PSI score and mortality.

Keywords: Pneumonia. Health Planning Guidelines. Community-Acquired Infections. Health Services for the Aged.

Sputum examination in the clinical management of community-acquired pneumonia

Exame do escarro no manejo clínico dos pacientes com pneumonia adquirida na comunidade

Leonardo Gilberto Haas Signori, Maurício Weyh Ferreira, Luiz Carlos Hack Radünz Vieira, Karen Reetz Müller, Waldo Luís Leite Dias de Mattos

J Bras Pneumol.2008;34(3):152-158

Continuing Education: Pediatric Pulmonology

Management of pneumonia and pleural effusion in children

Manejo de pneumonia e derrame pleural em crianças

Laura Menestrino Prestes1, Miguel Ângelo Uflacker Lutz de Castro1, Gabriela de Azevedo Bastian de Souza1, Laura Gomes Boabaid de Barros1, Marcelo Comerlato Scotta2,3, Leonardo Araujo Pinto2,3

J Bras Pneumol.2023;49(6):e20230370

Original Article

Comparative study of elderly inpatients clinically diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia, with or without radiological confirmation

Estudo comparativo entre pacientes idosos internados com diagnóstico clínico de pneumonia comunitária, com ou sem confirmação radiológica

Daniel Knupp Augusto, Luís Felipe José Ravic de Miranda, Carlos Eduardo Gazinelli Cruz, Ênio Roberto Pietra Pedroso

J Bras Pneumol.2007;33(3):270-274

Quantitative culture of endotracheal aspirate and BAL fluid samples in the management of patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia: a randomized clinical trial

Cultura quantitativa de amostras de aspirado endotraqueal e lavado broncoalveolar no manejo de pacientes com pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica: um ensaio clínico randomizado

Ricardo de Amorim Corrêa, Carlos Michel Luna, José Carlos Fernandez Versiani dos Anjos, Eurípedes Alvarenga Barbosa, Cláudia Juliana de Rezende, Adriano Pereira Rezende, Fernando Henrique Pereira, Manoel Otávio da Costa Rocha

J Bras Pneumol.2014;40(6):643-651

Pulmonary tuberculosis: findings on high resolution computerized tomography of active disease on patients with bacteriological confirmation

Tuberculose pulmonar: achados na tomografia computadorizada de alta resolução do tórax em pacientes com doença em atividade comprovada bacteriologicamente

Cristiane Aló Campos, Edson Marchiori, Rosana Rodrigues

J Bras Pneumol.2002;28(1):23-29

Evidence of the association between adherence to treatment and mortality among patients with COPD monitored at a public disease management program in Brazil

Evidências da associação entre adesão ao tratamento e mortalidade em pacientes com DPOC acompanhados em um programa público de gerenciamento de doença no Brasil

Aramís Tupiná Alcântara de Moreira1,2,3, Charleston Ribeiro Pinto1,2,4,5, Antônio Carlos Moreira Lemos2, Lindemberg Assunção-Costa5, Gisélia Santana Souza5, Eduardo Martins Netto1,6

J Bras Pneumol.2022;48(1):e20210120

Erratum

2018 recommendations for the management of community acquired pneumonia

Recomendações para o manejo da pneumonia adquirida na comunidade 2018

J Bras Pneumol.2018;44(6):532

2018 recommendations for the management of community acquired pneumonia

Recomendações para o manejo da pneumonia adquirida na comunidade 2018

J Bras Pneumol.2019;45(2):

Special Article

2018 recommendations for the management of community acquired pneumonia

Recomendações para o manejo da pneumonia adquirida na comunidade 2018

Ricardo de Amorim Corrêa1,a, Andre Nathan Costa2,b, Fernando Lundgren3.c, Lessandra Michelim4,d, Mara Rúbia Figueiredo5,e, Marcelo Holanda6,f, Mauro Gomes7,g, Paulo José Zimermann Teixeira8,h, Ricardo Martins9,i, Rodney Silva10,j, Rodrigo Abensur Athanazio2,k, Rosemeri Maurici da Silva11,l, Mônica Corso Pereira12,m

J Bras Pneumol.2018;44(5):405-423

Original Article

Bronchoalveolar lavage versus transbronchial biopsy in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus: comparative analysis of 287 examinations

Lavado broncoalveolar "versus" biópsia transbrônquica em pacientes HIV-positivos: análise comparativa de 287 exames

Ricardo H. Bammann, Angelo Fernandez, Carla M.P. Vázquez, Altamiro R. Dias

J Bras Pneumol.1998;24(3):112-118

A total of 287 bronchoscopies were performed in 267 patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and transbronchial biopsies (TBB) were sequentially performed in the same lung, in all cases. Specimens were examined after routine laboratory procedures for microbiologic and histologic analysis. Age ranged from 16 to 78 (median 37.2); 228 were men (85.4%) and 39 were women. Dyspnea was the main symptom in 198 cases (69.0%) and interstitial infiltrates (diffuse or localized) were the most common findings at chest radiographs (179 patients, 62.4%). Endoscopic view was normal in 246 patients (85.7%). Mucosal lesions suggestive of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) were visible in 12 cases (4.2%). BAL detected 97 infectious agents, simultaneous co-infection occurred in 3 cases. TBB identified 165 pathogens (9 of them in association), anticipating a better yield than BAL in the diagnosis of P. carinii (84 versus 51, respectively) and cytomegalovirus (35 v. 0). Biopsies were unique in establishing the appropriate diagnosis of extrabronchial cancer and describing inespecific pneumonitis. Altogether, a definite diagnosis was obtained by bronchoscopic examination (including endoscopic view, BAL and TBB) in 271 of 287 cases (94.4%). Infections were caused by P. carinii in 105 patients (36.6%), Mycobacterium sp in 40 (13.9%), cytomegalovirus in 35 (12.2%), C. neoformans in 13 (4.5%) etc. Malignancies (including KS) were found in 16 patients (5.6%). More than one pathologic process was present in 28 (9.8%). Nonspecific pneumonitis was diagnosed in 56 cases (19.5%) and normal lung in 20 (7.0%). Complications related to bronchoscopy were pneumothorax (8 patients, 2.8%), haemorrhage (8), thoracic pain (2) and distal pneumonia (2). Chest tubes were required in 4 patients, including one fatal case (mortality rate of 0.3%). Combining BAL and TBB results increases the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy in AIDS, with a low complication rate. If both techniques are performed, a higher number of infectious agents and more multiple causes of pulmonary disease may be identified.

Keywords: Bronchoscopy/methods. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/complications. Opportunistic infections related to AIDS/diagnosis.

Effects of indacaterol versus tiotropium on exercise tolerance in patients with moderate COPD: a pilot randomized crossover study

Efeitos do indacaterol versus tiotrópio na tolerância ao exercício em pacientes com DPOC moderada: estudo cruzado randomizado piloto

Danilo Cortozi Berton1, Álvaro Huber dos Santos2, Ivo Bohn Jr.2, Rodrigo Quevedo de Lima2, Vanderléia Breda2, Paulo José Zimermann Teixeira2,3,4

J Bras Pneumol.2016;42(5):362-366

Objective: To compare a once-daily long-acting β2 agonist (indacaterol 150 µg) with a once-daily long-acting anticholinergic (tiotropium 5 µg) in terms of their effects on exercise endurance (limit of tolerance, Tlim) in patients with moderate COPD. Secondary endpoints were their effects on lung hyperinflation, exercise-related dyspnea, and daily-life dyspnea. Methods: This was a randomized, single-blind, crossover pilot study involving 20 patients (mean age, 60.9 ± 10.0 years; mean FEV1, 69 ± 7% of predicted). Spirometric parameters, Transition Dyspnea Index scores, Tlim, and exertional dyspnea were compared after three weeks of each treatment (with a one-week washout period between treatments). Results: Nineteen patients completed the study (one having been excluded because of COPD exacerbation). Improvement in Tlim from baseline tended to be greater after treatment with tiotropium than after treatment with indacaterol (96 ± 163 s vs. 8 ± 82 s; p = 0.06). Tlim significantly improved from baseline after treatment with tiotropium (having increased from 396 ± 319 s to 493 ± 347 s; p = 0.010) but not after treatment with indacaterol (having increased from 393 ± 246 to 401 ± 254 s; p = 0.678). There were no differences between the two treatments regarding improvements in Borg dyspnea scores and lung hyperinflation at "isotime" and peak exercise. There were also no significant differences between treatments regarding Transition Dyspnea Index scores (1.5 ± 2.1 vs. 0.9 ± 2.3; p = 0.39). Conclusions: In patients with moderate COPD, tiotropium tends to improve Tlim in comparison with indacaterol. No significant differences were observed between the two treatments regarding their effects on lung hyperinflation, exercise-related dyspnea, and daily-life dyspnea. Future studies, including a larger number of patients, are required in order to confirm our findings and explore mechanistic explanations. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01693003 [http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/])

Keywords: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Exercise; Bronchodilator agents.