Pneumonias caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a paired capsulated gram-positive organism are often preceded by a viral infection.
Pneumococcal pneumonia varies greatly in its severity. It causes up to 80% of community-acquired pneumonia and 90% of acute bacterial pneumonias in children who are not immunocompromised and do not have underlying disease such as cystic fibrosis.
There are a variety of serotypes - those with the higher numbers are seen most in the extremes of life, and in immunocompromised patients.
The natural history is not unusual with recovery at about day ten coinciding with the arrival of immunoglobulin.
1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Pneumococcal disease 2023.
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