http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/pneumonia/ Read the latest research on pneumonia, including how it is contracted, new treatments and more. en-us Sat, 26 May 2012 14:05:01 EDT Sat, 26 May 2012 14:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/pneumonia/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129151005.htm Genetics has provided surprising insights into why vaccines used in both the UK and US to combat serious childhood infections can eventually fail. The study, which investigates how bacteria change their disguise to evade the vaccines, has implications for how future vaccines can be made more effective. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129151005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929161335.htm Proper planning before the introduction of new vaccines into a developing country's active immunization program could prevent storage problems and transportation bottlenecks that decrease the availability of existing vaccines by as much as two-thirds, according to a new study. Computational models can forecast the impact of new vaccine introduction and identify potential disruptions, concluded the study. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929161335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110927112543.htm A new study shows that guidelines concerning testing patients for possible community-acquired pneumonia due to Legionella may underestimate the number of cases being seen by clinicians. The study found that if testing was only done in patients felt to be at increased risk of Legionnaires' disease based on such guidelines, more than 40 percent of Legionella cases could be missed based on this single-center study. Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110927112543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922164203.htm Opioids -- a class of medicines commonly given for pain -- were associated with a higher risk of pneumonia in a study of 3,061 adults, aged 65 to 94. The study also found that benzodiazepines, which are drugs generally given for insomnia and anxiety, did not affect pneumonia risk. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:42:42 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922164203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922121410.htm Researchers have discovered how a novel type of antibody works against pneumococcal bacteria. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922121410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919171333.htm Many of the people who died from the new strain of H1N1 influenza that broke out in 2009 were suffering from another infection as well: pneumonia. A new study reveals how the two infections, pandemic influenza and pneumonia, interact to make to make a lethal combination. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919171333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831093927.htm Immunizations, including a yearly flu vaccine, are the best way to protect children from life-threatening pneumonia, according to new guidelines. Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831093927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706134141.htm The ability of spaceflight to enhance the efficacy of a recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccine, or RASV, will be the focus of experiments conducted by Cheryl Nickerson and Roy Curtiss, of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. The payload will be carried aboard the space shuttle Atlantis on its final mission to the International Space Station. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:41:41 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706134141.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110629122750.htm Researchers have developed a technique to make recombinant attenuated salmonella vaccines safer and more effective. The group demonstrated that a modified strain of salmonella showed a five-fold reduction in virulence in mice, while preserving strong immunogenic properties. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110629122750.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526131242.htm Why are older people vulnerable to community-acquired pneumonia? A new study gives an explanation: cells that are supposed to die, but don't. Thu, 26 May 2011 13:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526131242.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516161821.htm The antibiotic linezolid may be more effective than vancomycin in treating ventilated patients who develop methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia as a result of their ventilation, according to a study conducted globally by American and French researchers. Mon, 16 May 2011 16:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516161821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110515122503.htm Hospital patients with pneumonia may be at risk of experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, often with few or no warning signs, according to new research. Sun, 15 May 2011 12:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110515122503.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511193250.htm Administering both the pneumococcal and the herpes zoster vaccines to patients during the same visit is beneficial and does not appear to compromise the protective effect of the zoster vaccine, according to a new study. Wed, 11 May 2011 19:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511193250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510101623.htm A new study reveals that adult patients admitted to the hospital with pneumonia are more likely to die if they have vitamin D deficiency. Tue, 10 May 2011 10:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510101623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505151816.htm Short courses of antibiotics appear just as effective as longer ones -- and a great deal safer -- in treating respiratory infections that might cause pneumonia in children on temporary breathing devices, according to a Johns Hopkins Children's Center study published online May 3 in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Thu, 05 May 2011 15:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505151816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110415124053.htm Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are hospitalized for pneumonia and treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have decreased mortality when compared to those who are not treated with ICS, according to a retrospective analysis of almost 16,000 COPD patients admitted to VA hospitals. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110415124053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110410194707.htm Bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis are only able to spread when individuals are infected with flu, according to an expert. The work could have implications for the management of influenza pandemics and could help reduce incidence of pneumococcal infections in very young children, who are more susceptible to disease. Sun, 10 Apr 2011 19:47:47 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110410194707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405174845.htm Using a cross-sectional study, researchers investigated the effects of the UK pneumococcal vaccination program on serotype-specific carriage and invasive pneumococcal disease. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:48:48 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405174845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404222759.htm Taking statins could help prevent people dying from pneumonia, according to a new study. Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404222759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110322172215.htm The zeta toxins are a family of proteins that are normally present within various pathogenic bacteria and can mysteriously trigger suicide when the cells undergo stress. Researchers in Germany have now found the mechanism underlying this programmed bacterial cell death. Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:22:22 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110322172215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110322161516.htm Patients admitted to a hospital with major trauma and treated with the steroid hydrocortisone were less likely to be diagnosed with hospital-acquired pneumonia than patients who received placebo, according to a new study. Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110322161516.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110314091647.htm Scientists are providing insight into why the elderly are so vulnerable to pneumonia and other bacterial infections. Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110314091647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110222082732.htm Researchers have developed an experimental vaccine with a synthetic gene that appears to protect against an increasingly common and particularly deadly form of pneumococcal pneumonia. Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110222082732.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110218165256.htm Researchers have created a new sampling device that could prevent thousands of people worldwide from dying of pneumonia each year. Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110218165256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110217104951.htm Depending on the level of smoking and leisure time exercise, vitamin E supplementation may decrease or increase, or may have no effect, on the risk of pneumonia, according to a study by researchers in Finland. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110217104951.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101220121058.htm Using acid suppressive medications, such as proton pump inhibitors and histamine2 receptor antagonists, may increase the risk of developing pneumonia, states an article in Canadian Medical Association Journal. Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101220121058.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101207191439.htm Children exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to get invasive meningococcal disease than children who are not exposed. Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101207191439.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101201120607.htm A new study suggests that preterm infants may not be fully protected against invasive pneumococcal disease under the current United Kingdom immunization schedule. Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101201120607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101112080003.htm A new report card from IVAC shows efforts to control pneumonia globally fall short of WHO/UNICEF recommendations to help countries achieve Millennium Development Goal targets for child survival. Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101112080003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101111172619.htm A dramatic advance in understanding of how the body fights bacteria paves the way for more effective vaccines. Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101111172619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101102130953.htm Secondary infections with bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, which causes pneumonia, were a major cause of death during the 1918 flu pandemic and may be important in modern pandemics as well, according to a new article. Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:09:09 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101102130953.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101027160406.htm The H1N1 influenza pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the number of children with a serious "secondary" bacterial infection called empyema in children, suggests a new study. Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:04:04 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101027160406.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101022123749.htm Patients were misdiagnosed with pneumonia at an alarming rate when they were readmitted to the hospital shortly after a previous hospitalization for the same illness, according to two new studies. Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101022123749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101016080122.htm Intranasal administration of the protein flagellin may activate innate immunity and protect against acute pneumonia, say researchers from France. Sat, 16 Oct 2010 08:01:01 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101016080122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101005171030.htm Contrary to current thinking, the group of serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae responsible for most invasive pneumococcal disease worldwide is conserved across regions, according to new research. Tue, 05 Oct 2010 17:10:10 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101005171030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100929163415.htm New research shows that an intravenous treatment -- called dexamethasone -- may cut a person's risk of dying from bacterial meningitis. Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100929163415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100928193442.htm Healthy people who caught swine flu during the 2009 pandemic may have been protected against developing radiographically (X-ray) confirmed pneumonia by taking the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu), concludes a study of cases in China. Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100928193442.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100921171345.htm Anti-malarial drugs are being used inappropriately for sick children in Zambia with fevers and difficulty breathing -- a problem that can be addressed by arming community health workers with a simple rapid-diagnostic test and a supply of antibiotics, a new study has found. Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100921171345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920123918.htm A structural molecule called cardiolipin and the cellular pump that regulates its levels influence the severity of pneumonia and could provide new ways of treating the lung infection, which is a leading cause of hospitalization and death, according to scientists. Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920123918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920123535.htm The seasonal flu vaccine is associated with a 19 percent reduction in the rate of first heart attack and early vaccination in the fall further increases the benefits, a new study finds. Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920123535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100907163325.htm Infants who received heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination at 2, 4, and 11 months were more likely than unvaccinated controls to have nasopharyngeal (in the nasal passages and upper part of the throat behind the nose) acquisition of pneumococcal serotype 19A, a leading cause of respiratory pneumococcal disease, according to a new study. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:33:33 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100907163325.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100827082149.htm The number of children admitted to English hospitals with bacterial pneumonia decreased by a fifth in the two years following the introduction of a vaccine to combat the disease, according to a new study. Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100827082149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100810122045.htm An new study has revealed that a high proportion of nursing facility residents were found to have low serum (blood) zinc concentrations, but those with normal blood zinc concentrations were about 50 percent less likely to develop pneumonia than those with low concentrations. Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100810122045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712162543.htm A new study finds that the use of antibiotics to treat pneumonia in terminal dementia patients presents a "double-edged" sword for health-care providers and family members, finding that antibiotics may prolong survival for these patients, but do not improve their comfort. Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712162543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100525171327.htm Researchers have found that respiratory syncytial virus appears to be the predominant virus detected among infants and children hospitalized in Kenya. Tue, 25 May 2010 17:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100525171327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504163111.htm Men 45 years or older who received pneumococcal vaccine were not less likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to men who did not receive the vaccine, according to a new study. Tue, 04 May 2010 16:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504163111.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503161431.htm The results of new research results show that a pilot pneumonia-prevention program significantly reduced postoperative pneumonia in a hospital surgical ward. Mon, 03 May 2010 16:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503161431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100428110804.htm A new study finds that African children who contract pneumococcus -- a bacterial infection that causes pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis -- are 36 times as likely to have sickle-cell disease, a blood disorder prevalent in African children that increases the risk for infectious diseases and early death. Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:08:08 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100428110804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100420220802.htm A computerized diagnostic model outperforms clinical judgment for the diagnosis of fever in young children, and may improve early treatment, a new study finds. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:08:08 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100420220802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303192436.htm A clinical trial of a vaccine against a major cause of pneumonia and meningitis has shown that it can prevent three out of four cases of re-infection in HIV-infected adults in Africa. The trials, conducted in Malawi, studied the efficacy of a vaccine against infection with the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303192436.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302112014.htm Patients hospitalized with even mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia who develop acute kidney injury (AKI) are more likely to die after discharge than pneumonia patients whose kidneys remain healthy, according to a new study. The study also found a strong relationship between AKI and levels of inflammatory biomarkers. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302112014.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224083647.htm Scientists hve demonstrated that the cytotoxin Paton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) does not affect methicillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus (MRSA)-induced pneumonia. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224083647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222162002.htm Two common conditions caused by hospital-acquired infections killed 48,000 people and ramped up health care costs by $8.1 billion in 2006 alone, according to a new study. This is the largest nationally representative study to date of the toll taken by sepsis and pneumonia, two conditions often caused by deadly microbes, including the antibiotic-resistant bacteria MRSA. Such infections can lead to longer hospital stays, serious complications and even death. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222162002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222161852.htm The costs that hospitals incur in treating patients vary widely and do not appear to be strongly associated either with the quality of care patients receive or their risk of dying within 30 days, according to a new report. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222161852.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119172747.htm New research suggests a family of widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs might help protect individuals from serious illness following bacterial infection, including the pneumococcal infections that pose a deadly threat to those with sickle cell disease. Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119172747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100106095047.htm Researchers have determined that immune responses to the tetanus vaccine were not changed when rituximab in combination with methotrexate (MTX) was compared with MTX alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Responses to a pneumococcal vaccination, however, were reduced in RA patients with rituximab. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100106095047.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091223074703.htm A study found that among older individuals, long-term exposure to traffic pollution independently increased their risk of hospitalization for pneumonia. Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091223074703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091209093119.htm Biochemists have developed a urine test that can rapidly and accurately diagnose the cause of pneumonia-like symptoms. The test should enable doctors to quickly provide appropriate treatments for patients with pneumonia, an illness that is often misdiagnosed using current tests. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091209093119.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022134452.htm Medical clinics the world over could benefit from new software created by a team of scientists has found a way to improve the efficiency of a pneumonia vaccine testing method. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:44:44 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022134452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122649.htm A new study concludes that pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV), already known to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and X-ray defined pneumonia, were also effective against child deaths. According to the review, 80 percent of children were less likely to develop vaccine-type IPD, 58 percent all-serotype IPD, and 27 percent x-ray defined pneumonia than children who did not receive the vaccine. Eleven percent of child deaths were also prevented. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122649.htm