Management of Pneumonia

Abstract Background: The primary treatment for pneumonia is timely administration of antibiotics, so it is important to highlight the treatments used in Damascus Hospital in order to improve survival, morbidity, duration of hospitalization, and bacterial resistance. Methods and materials: A prospective, retrospective study in which 100 patients with a primary diagnosis of community or hospital-acquired pneumonia, aged over 18 years, were studied during the period 1/22/2023 to 1/22/2024. The data were analyzed using the SPSS-26 program. Results: The average age of the patients was 56.75±19.175 years, the most common age group was 60-74 years, males were 56%, and females were 44%. We found that community-acquired pneumonia was more common than nosocomial pneumonia, and the most common comorbid condition was type 2 diabetes, 7%. The most common symptoms and signs observed are respiratory depression 87%, cough 84%, general symptoms 83%, phlegm 73%, fever 56%, the most common radiological manifestation is multi-lobular density 45%, diffuse bilateral infiltrates 40%, and unilateral density 37%. The most common therapeutic protocols for all patients (intravenous ceftriaxone plus and oral levofloxacin), 41%, followed by oral levofloxacin, oral clindamycin, and intravenous ceftriaxone, 17%, and oral levofloxacin and intravenous vancomycin, 16%. Additional treatments included mucolytics, antipyretics, anticoagulants, and steroids. Conclusion: Regarding empiric antibiotic therapy for pneumonia, the use of ceftriaxone could be reduced, broad-spectrum antibiotics could be administered more carefully to prevent resistance, and potential indications for systemic corticosteroid administration in patients with pneumonia should be documented more carefully.