What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection of the lower respiratory tract that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Viral pneumonia occurs when a respiratory virus like influenza or SARS-CoV-2 spreads infection into the lungs. Bacterial pneumonia occurs when certain bacteriae—such as organisms that typically colonize in the nose and throat, or atypical bacteria—infect the lungs. Fungi are not contagious and do not usually cause infection in healthy people, but if a patient’s immune system is already compromised, fungal pneumonia can occur.
Pneumonia symptoms and signs include cough, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, and chest pain. People who are high-risk or who are experiencing severe symptoms, like difficulty breathing or a persistent high fever, should be evaluated by a doctor immediately.1
How is pneumonia prevented, diagnosed and treated?
Some types of pneumonia, including pneumococcal pneumonia, can be prevented by widely available vaccines. Addressing issues like malnutrition, pre-existing conditions like HIV, and environmental factors like air pollution can also help prevent the onset and reduce the severity of pneumonia, especially for high-risk populations1.
Pneumonia can be difficult to diagnose due to variable symptoms and multiple potential causative agents2. Most frequently, medical history, physical examinations, and diagnostic tests are used in combination to determine the cause of the disease3.
Treatment for mild pneumonia generally includes rest, hydration, and medication for fever or pain along with antimicrobial therapy. Depending on the cause and severity of the infection, hospitalization may be required3.
Early pathogen identification in patients with respiratory infections can help minimize unnecessary antibiotics and downstream procedures.
Product availability varies by country. Consult your bioMérieux representative
When used together
BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® Pneumonia plus (PNplus) Panel / BIOFIRE® Respiratory 2.1 plus (RP2.1plus) Panel
with
VIDAS® B•R•A•H•M•S PCT™
may help improve patient outcomes by:1,2,3,4
Identifying presence of
bacterial co-infection4,6
17.9X increase in
neuramindase use in the ED7
Reducing IV antibiotics
use by 4.4 days7
2X increase in stopping or
deescalating antibiotics7
WATCH THE WEBINAR REPLAY
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Discover bioMérieux solutions :
BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® PNplus PANEL
Identifies 34 targets including bacteria, viruses, and antimicrobial resistance genes, in about an hour.
BIOFIRE® RP2.1plus PANEL
Targets 23 pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, in about 45 minutes.
VIDAS® B•R•A•H•M•S PCT™
Detects procalcitonin, a specific marker of severe bacterial infection and sepsis, in only 20 minutes.
