Effect of pharmaceutical care on the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly: a case report

OBJECTIVE: Elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) have more comorbidities, decreased organ function, and weakened immune function, which can easily lead to various adverse reactionsduring anti-infection treatment. Comprehensive geriatric assessment is a commonly used method to optimize the management of the clinical treatment of the elderly, of which the clinical pharmacists are the core member. However, few studies have focused on the participation of relevant clinical pharmacists of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) of elderly CAP patients. CASE PRESENTATION: A case where the clinical pharmacist participated in the entire process of medical treatment of an elderly patient with CAP. From the first day of admission to the hospital, anti-infective drugs were selected based on the condition combined with the distribution and drug-resistance of common local pathogens, paying attention to the changes of various indicators during treatment, the drug dose was adjusted in time, and targeted anticoagulation, cardiotonic, diuretic, potassium supplementation, intestinal flora regulation and anti-fungal treatment were carried out, as well as the prevention and treatment of antibiotic-related diarrhea. After 24 days of hospitalization, the patient was in a stable condition after treatment and was discharged from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The participation of clinical pharmacists in CGA had positive significance for the clinical treatment of elderly CAP, and it was worthy of further improvement and clinical promotion.

Automated summary

This case presentation describes the involvement of a clinical pharmacist in the treatment process of an elderly patient with CAP. Through comprehensive assessment, the clinical pharmacist selected appropriate medications and made timely adjustments based on the patient's condition, resulting in a positive treatment outcome.