[Pneumococcal pneumonia]

Abstract

Pneumococci remain the most important cause of bacterial pneumonia with a considerable morbidity and mortality. The characteristic features of pneumococcal pneumonia are fever, shivering, productive cough, and radiographic detection of an infiltrate. Penicillin is still the cornerstone of therapy for pneumococcal infections. With the HIV-epidemic and worldwide emergence of resistant strains particularly the invasive pneumococcal infections became a growing therapeutic problem.