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Sammanfattning

Respiratory tract infections are divided into upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Upper respiratory tract infections are predominantly due to viruses and are often benign infections. Lower respiratory infections are estimated to be the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, with pneumonia being the most serious. The clinical presentation of pneumonia varies from a few symptoms to severe illness. The extent of diagnostics varies depending on the severity of the disease. High age, chronic diseases and poor oral hygiene are among the risk factors for pneumonia. For disease requiring hospitalization a diagnostic evaluation will include blood samples with focus on inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and leukocytes, microbiological diagnostics with blood and expectorate for culture and microscopy, and radiological diagnostics with chest x-ray. Depending on several factors, many pathogens can cause pneumonia. The most common cause of pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae and the empirical antibiotic treatment is penicillin.

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