Pneumonia: Page 2

ATS, IDSA revamp pneumonia testing guidance

The new recommendations apply to the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, from the time of signs and symptoms through treatment with antibiotics and follow-up chest imaging. They were published by a multidisciplinary team, including Dr. Joshua Metlay, PhD, chief of internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, October 1, 2019, Vol. 200:7, pp. e45-e65).

October 2, 2019

MicroRNAs predict problems in pneumonia patients

Identifying particular microRNAs -- small molecules involved in the regulation of gene expression -- using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing at the time patients are hospitalized with severe pneumonia could alert health professionals to risks and help prevent complications, reported Dr. Francisco Sanz, a pulmonologist at Consorci Hospital General Universitari de València, and colleagues. Testing is affordable, is readily available in hospitals, and takes from one to three hours, the researchers noted.

October 2, 2019