Risk factors that contribute to the severe course and progression of community-acquired pneumonia

Abstract

There have been examined 36 patients (19 men and 17 women) with community-acquired pneumonia aged 18 to 82 years with a moderate state in most of them. For most patients, the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia was established at the prehospital stage and antibacterial therapy was already administered. Almost all of them suffered from cough with phlegm, exercise dyspnea, elevated to 38–39ºС body temperature. The majority of patients had bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse). As a result of the study, they also showed the presence of the herpes virus of type 1 and type 2, there were found chronic persistent infection, changes in the state of immunological homeostasis, presence of cellular immunodeficiency. The disease was especially severe in elderly patients with concomitant pathology, such as diabetes mellitus, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, obesity. Thus, the severity of the state depends on the age and modifying factors. They include bad habits, late access to a doctor, unfavorable social status, concomitant pathologies of various etiologies.