Questions
What are the causes of pneumonia in the elderly?
Answers
- Gram-negative bacterial infections are commonly present, especially in the 1950s when Streptococcus pneumoniae was the main pathogen (about 90%) for pneumonia. However, with the introduction of penicillin and some semi-synthetic penicillins, the incidence and severity of pneumonia caused by this strain have increased.
- Respiratory condition pathogen infections are gradually increasing.
- Mixed infections are common, as the elderly often suffer from mixed infections caused by multiple different pathogens due to their weakened immune function.
- Drug-resistant strains are continuously increasing.