DELAYED RESOLUTION OF PNEUMONIA - WHEN IS SLOW HEALING TOO SLOW

Some cases of pneumonia can be expected to respond slowly to treatment . For example, resolution of bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia in an 8 5-year-old patient who smokes and has heart disease, diabetes, and mul tilobar infiltrates is much more likely to be prolonged than is mycopl asmal pneumonia in a 25-year-old, healthy, nonsmoking patient with a u nilobar infiltrate. The authors describe risk factors for and causes o f delayed resolution and present a workup strategy for cases that do n ot respond within expected time limits.