Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Adult Patients: Diagnosis, Antimicrobial Therapy and Prophylaxis (According to the Guidelines of European Respiratory Society and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases)

Abstract

According to the Guidelines of European Respiratory Society and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Clinical guidelines that comply with the principles of evidence-based medicine are one of the most trustworthy sources of the information on diagnosis and treatment of diseases. As to diagnosis and treatment of communityacquired lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), such a guideline is those developed by the European Respiratory Society and issued in 1998. However, during the last years LRTI concept has changed significantly. More specifically, new data on the etiology of respiratory tract infections and antimicrobial resistance of the key respiratory pathogens became available, and novel antimicrobials have been developed. In addition, body of evidences that is a basis for modern guidelines was extended and a number of controlled clinical trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews were published. All of the above became prerequisite for the development of updated guidelines that were prepared by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). The present article provides a review of the novel clinical guidelines.