Published online Jun 9, 2024. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v13.i2.91314
Revised: March 14, 2024
Accepted: April 22, 2024
Published online: June 9, 2024
Processing time: 159 Days and 13 Hours
Pneumonia is a disease associated with significant healthcare burden with over 1.5 million hospitalizations annually and is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States. While community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is generally considered an acute time-limited illness, it is associated with high long-term mortality, with nearly one-third of patients requiring hospitalization dying within one year. An increasing trend of detecting multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms causing CAP has been observed, especially in the Western world. In this editorial, we discuss about a publication by Jatteppanavar et al which reported that a case of a MDR organism was the culprit in developing pneumonia, bacteremia, and infective endocarditis that led to the patient’s death. The early detection of these resistant organisms helps improve patient outcomes. Significant advances have been made in the biotechnological and research space, but preventive measures, diagnostic techniques, and treatment strategies need to be developed.
Core Tip: This editorial focuses on community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and the importance of the early detection of drug-resistant organisms. CAP is considered an acute time-limited illness and is associated with high long-term mortality, with nearly one-third of patients requiring hospitalization dying within one year. There is an increasing trend of detecting multidrug-resistant organisms causing CAP especially in the Western world. It has been shown that the early detection of these resistant organisms helps improve patient outcomes. Moreover, significant advances have been made in the biotechnological and research space, but preventive measures, diagnostic techniques, and treatment strategies need to be further developed.