- Section 1 Ageing population and policy
- Section 2 Key concepts in care of older adults
- Section 3 Principles and organization of care
- Section 4 Age-related biological changes, altered physiology, and vulnerability to diseases and chronic conditions
- Section 5 Geriatric syndromes in clinical practice
- Section 6 Nutrition and metabolism
- Section 7 Mobility disorders: prevention, impact, and compensation
- Section 8 Infections in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Chapter 79 Immunosenescence and infectious diseases
- Chapter 80 Epidemiology of infection in elderly populations in various settings
- Chapter 81 Pneumonia and respiratory tract infections
- Chapter 82 Tuberculosis in old age
- Chapter 83 Bone and periprosthetic joint infections in older adults
- Chapter 84 Infective endocarditis
- Chapter 85 Ageing with HIV
- Chapter 86 Healthcare-associated infections and emergence of antibiotic resistance
- Chapter 87 Healthcare-associated infections and infection control
- Chapter 88 Vaccines against viral infections
- Chapter 89 Integration of vaccination of older adults in a life course programme
- Section 9 Cancer: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 10 Vascular diseases: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 11 Neurological disorders: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 12 Cognitive decline and dementia in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 13 Mental health of older adults
- Section 14 Management of common medical conditions: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 15 Palliative medicine and end-of-life care
- Section 16 Healthy ageing
(p. 621) Pneumonia and respiratory tract infections
- Chapter:
- (p. 621) Pneumonia and respiratory tract infections
- Author(s):
Adamantia Liapikou
and Antoni Torres
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780198701590.003.0081
Acute lower respiratory infections, such as acute bronchitis and pneumonia, are a leading cause of death worldwide and a primary source of morbidity and mortality in older adults. Clinically, elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia often have non-specific clinical symptoms, altered mental status, or subtle functional decline, making an accurate diagnosis and early antimicrobial treatment difficult, and further worsening the prognosis. Older frail patients living in nursing homes have a high frequency of aspiration pneumonia caused by gram-negative bacilli and anaerobic pathogens.
Over the last few years there has been a controversy over whether the higher mortality of pneumonia is due to inappropriate therapy or the poor functional status of these patients. Prevention strategies of respiratory infections in older people include the prevention and management of aspiration, reduction in the use of neuroleptic medication, influenza vaccination, and possibly the use of the newer antiviral drugs.
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- Section 1 Ageing population and policy
- Section 2 Key concepts in care of older adults
- Section 3 Principles and organization of care
- Section 4 Age-related biological changes, altered physiology, and vulnerability to diseases and chronic conditions
- Section 5 Geriatric syndromes in clinical practice
- Section 6 Nutrition and metabolism
- Section 7 Mobility disorders: prevention, impact, and compensation
- Section 8 Infections in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Chapter 79 Immunosenescence and infectious diseases
- Chapter 80 Epidemiology of infection in elderly populations in various settings
- Chapter 81 Pneumonia and respiratory tract infections
- Chapter 82 Tuberculosis in old age
- Chapter 83 Bone and periprosthetic joint infections in older adults
- Chapter 84 Infective endocarditis
- Chapter 85 Ageing with HIV
- Chapter 86 Healthcare-associated infections and emergence of antibiotic resistance
- Chapter 87 Healthcare-associated infections and infection control
- Chapter 88 Vaccines against viral infections
- Chapter 89 Integration of vaccination of older adults in a life course programme
- Section 9 Cancer: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 10 Vascular diseases: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 11 Neurological disorders: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 12 Cognitive decline and dementia in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 13 Mental health of older adults
- Section 14 Management of common medical conditions: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 15 Palliative medicine and end-of-life care
- Section 16 Healthy ageing