Treatment/Therapy
An infarct pneumonia must be treated in any case, as it is a serious clinical picture. Infarct pneumonia is usually treated as an in-patient, since the lungs have been previously damaged. In the treatment of infarct pneumonia, antibiotic therapy is the main focus.
Antibiotics can be used to kill the bacteria that cause the pneumonia. In clinical practice, the active ingredients ampicillin/sulbactam are often used in combination with a macrolide antibiotic, such as clarithromycin. This combination covers the typical pathogens that cause infarct pneumonia.
In very severe infarct pneumonia, more potent antibiotics such as piperacillin/tazobactam are used. The choice of antibiotic depends on the severity of the infarct pneumonia, as well as other factors such as the age of the person affected, other previous illnesses and the general condition. The antibiotic treatment is performed as an intravenous therapy with infusions.
For this, the patient needs a vein access. Furthermore, antipyretic drugs such as paracetamol are used in the treatment of infarct pneumonia. In addition, fluid is administered via the venous access to prevent the patient from drying out.
An infarct pneumonia is caused by a bacterial infection. Common pathogens of infarct pneumonia are pneumococci, chlamydia or mycoplasma. Bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, enterobacteria and staphylococci are also found in hospital-acquired pneumonia.
The antibiotic treatment is determined based on the patient’s risk profile. The risk profile is determined by the patient’s age, relevant previous illnesses and whether the infection occurred in hospital or on an outpatient basis, i.e. outside the hospital. In either case, however, antibiotic treatment is necessary to kill the germs.
A combination of the antibiotics ampicillin/sulbactam and clarithromycin is often used. This combination covers as many pathogens as possible. In case of a very severe infarct pneumonia, a combination of piperacillin/tazobactam and clarithromycin is used.
The antibiotics levofloxacin and moxifloxacin are also frequently used. Antibiosis is adjusted as soon as the pathogen is detected. The most effective antibiotic is selected based on the pathogen detection.
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