Pneumonia in the elderly patient

SIR WILLIAM OSLER once stated that pneumonia is a friend of the elderly. Wh ether it be friend or foe, pneumonia in the elderly patient certainly is a common, and when untreated, rapidly fatal condition. Overall, pneumonia is the most common cause of death due to infection in persons aged 60 years or older, and it is the fourth most common cause of death overall for persons aged 80 years or older. The rate of pneumonia in elderly persons is nearly four times that of the general population [1].