Pneumonies communautaires : épidémiologie, clinique, traitement

Community-acquired pneumonia are acute infections of the lung, not related to hospital admission or any other health care. This non-rare disease (600,000 cases/year in France) is most commonly treated empirically, as microbiological diagnosis is difficult to obtain. Lobar pneumonia of acute onset with severe general symptoms and thoracic pain are usually related to pneumococcus, and will be optimally treated with penicillin (amoxicillin). In atypical pneumonia (gradual onset, more diffuse lung involvement), intracellular bacteria are more common, and this condition will usually resolve with macrolides.