Pneumonia in Critical Care: Part 3

severity scoring, antimicrobial therapy and adjuvant therapies

The lecture duration is 24min.

0.25 CPD Points, 0.25 CEUs, 0.25 CME credits approval pending.
Accredited by CPDUK, CBRN and Provider Pending.

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Andrew Conway Morris
Medical Research Council Clinician Scientist & Honorary Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK
Lecture Summary

This lecture forms the third of a three-part series on pneumonia in ICU. It discusses the role of severity scoring in predicting admission to ICU, and the importance of detecting organ failure. It then turns to therapy, with specific focus on antimicrobial therapy and factors influencing the choice of empiric antibiotics. It then covers the refinement and modifications of antimicrobials in light of clinical picture and microbiology results. The role of adjuvant therapy is discussed, mostly focussing on corticosteroids before turning to mechanical ventilation and non-invasive respiratory support.

Target Audience

Critical Care Doctors and Nurses
Emergency Medicine Doctors and Nurses
Rural GP's

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, you should be able to:

  • Describe the severity scores used in community acquired pneumonia and explain their limited utility in predicting ICU admission
  • Explain the factors which influence choice of empiric antimicrobial therapy and how clinical course and microbiology can influence modifications of such therapy
  • Discuss how the evidence from the wider acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) literature applies to pneumonia and how this influences ventilatory management