[Guidelines for the probabilistic treatment of community-acquired pneumonia: compared experience between internal medicine and emergency departments in the University Hospital of Besançon, France]

Rev Med Interne. 2014 Apr;35(4):231-4. doi: 10.1016/j.revmed.2013.03.001. Epub 2013 Jul 9.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess the application of local and national recommendations in the management of community-acquired pneumonia in an internal medicine department with an antibiotic referent physician and in an emergency department.

Patients and methods: This was a retrospective single-center study including patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia in the internal medicine department of the University Hospital of Besançon after an initial admission in the emergency department.

Results: One hundred patients (58 women and 42 men) were included. The mean age was 79 ± 11 years. The prescriptions done in the emergency department were in accordance with local recommendations or Société de pathologie infectieuse de langue française (SPILF) recommendations in 62% of cases. The prescriptions followed the recommendations in 94% of cases in internal medicine department (P<0.05). The lack of initial antibiotic treatment had no influence on morbidity and mortality.

Conclusion: The guidelines for infectious diseases treatment were significantly more often applied in a department where a referent physician was designated for this.

Keywords: C-reactive protein; Community-acquired pneumonia; Guidelines; Pneumopathie communautaire; Protéine C-réactive; Référentiel.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Community-Acquired Infections / epidemiology
  • Community-Acquired Infections / therapy*
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Female
  • France / epidemiology
  • Guideline Adherence / statistics & numerical data*
  • Hospital Departments
  • Hospitals, University
  • Humans
  • Internal Medicine
  • Male
  • Pneumonia / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia / therapy*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / epidemiology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / therapy*
  • Retrospective Studies