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Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) Samples

Bay Biosciences provides high-quality, matched fresh frozen sera (serum),  plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) bio-fluids from patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) disease.

Moreover, the sera (serum), plasma and PBMC bio-fluids are processed from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) disease patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

In addition, the matched bio-fluids are collected from unique patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) disease and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, development and drug discovery.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus (purulent material), causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and shortness of breath.
A variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, can cause pneumonia.

Pneumonia can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. It is most serious for infants and young children, people older than age 65, and people with health problems or weakened immune systems.

Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) Overview

In fact, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) refers to pneumonia, any of several lung diseases contracted by a person outside of the healthcare system. Moreover, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most common acute infections requiring admission to hospital.

Furthermore, CAP is common, affecting people of all ages, and its symptoms occur as a result of oxygen-absorbing areas of the lung the alveoli filling with fluid. This inhibits lung function, causing cough, fever, chest pains and dyspnea.

Pathogens

The main causative pathogens of CAP are Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza A, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and the dominant risk factors are age, smoking and comorbidities. The incidence of CAP and its common complications, such as the requirement for intensive care and complicated parapneumonic effusions, are increasing, making it essential for doctors to have a good understanding of the management of CAP. Although the diagnosis and treatment of CAP is straightforward in most cases, it can be more complex, and recent data indicates that the incidences of CAP and high mortality rates caused are increasing around the world.

CAP, the most common type of pneumonia, is a leading cause of illness and death worldwide. Its causes include bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. CAP is diagnosed by assessing symptoms, performing a physical examination, by X-ray or by sputum examination. Patients with CAP sometimes require hospitalization, and it is treated primarily with antibiotics, antipyretics and cough medicine. Some forms of CAP can be prevented by vaccination and by abstaining from smoking.

In the future, routine use of biomarkers to improve risk stratification and tailor management to individual patients could improve outcomes, and there is some evidence that modulation of CAP-associated inflammation could also be beneficial. Both research into host–microbial interactions in the lung and clinical trials of different management and preventative treatments are urgently needed to combat the increasing morbidity and mortality associated with CAP

Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) vary from mild to severe, depending on factors such as the type of germ causing the infection, and your age and overall health. Mild signs and symptoms often are similar to those of a cold or flu, but they last longer.

Signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include:

Following are the most common symptoms of Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP)

• Sharp, stabbing chest pain when you breathe or cough
• Confusion or changes in mental awareness (in adults age 65 and older)
• Cough, which produces greenish or yellow sputum
• Rapid, shallow, often painful breathing
• Fatigue
• High Fever, accompanied by sweating, chills, shaking and shivering
• Lower than normal body temperature (in adults older than age 65 and people with weak immune systems)
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Shortness of breath

Additional, less common symptoms of CAP are:

• Coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
• Headaches, including migraines
• Loss of appetite
• Excessive fatigue
• Bluish skin (cyanosis)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Joint pain (arthralgia) 
• Muscle pain (myalgia)
• Rapid heartbeat (arrhythmias)
• Dizziness and lightheadedness

Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) Causes

Community-acquired pneumonia is the most common type of pneumonia. It occurs outside of hospitals or other health care facilities. It may be caused by:

• Bacteria: The most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in the U.S. is Streptococcus pneumoniae. This type of pneumonia can occur on its own or after you’ve had a cold or the flu. It may affect one part (lobe) of the lung, a condition called lobar pneumonia.
• Bacteria-like organisms: Mycoplasma pneumoniae also can cause pneumonia. It typically produces milder symptoms than do other types of pneumonia. Walking pneumonia is an informal name given to this type of pneumonia, which typically isn’t severe enough to require bed rest.
• Fungi: This type of pneumonia is most common in people with chronic health problems or weakened immune systems, and in people who have inhaled large doses of the organisms. The fungi that cause it can be found in soil or bird droppings and vary depending upon geographic location.
• Viruses, including COVID-19: Some of the viruses that cause colds and the flu can cause pneumonia. Viruses are the most common cause of pneumonia in children younger than 5 years. Viral pneumonia is usually mild. But in some cases it can become very serious. Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) may cause pneumonia, which can become severe and deadly.

Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) Risk Factors

Pneumonia can affect anyone, but the following two main age groups at highest risk are:

• Children who are 2 years old or younger
• People who are age 65 or older

Other risk factors include:

• Being hospitalized: You’re at greater risk of pneumonia if you’re in a hospital intensive care unit, especially if you’re on a ventilator.
• Chronic disease: You’re more likely to get pneumonia if you have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart disease.
• Smoking: Smoking damages the body’s natural defenses against the bacteria and viruses that cause pneumonia.
• Weakened or suppressed immune system: Patients who have HIV/AIDS, patients who have had an organ transplant, or who receive chemotherapy or long-term steroids are at higher risk.

Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) Complications

Even with treatment, some patients with pneumonia, especially those in high-risk groups, may experience complications, including:

• Bacteria in the bloodstream (bacteremia): Bacteria that enter the bloodstream from the lungs can spread the infection to other organs, potentially causing organ failure.
• Difficulty breathing: If the pneumonia is severe or the patient have chronic underlying lung diseases, you may have trouble breathing in enough oxygen. Hospitalization might be necessary and the patient may be put on a ventilator to help with breathing while the lung heals.
• Fluid accumulation around the lungs (pleural effusion): Pneumonia may cause fluid to build up in the thin space between layers of tissue that line the lungs and chest cavity (pleura). If the fluid becomes infected, you may need to have it drained through a chest tube or removed with surgery.
• Lung abscess: An abscess occurs if pus forms in a cavity in the lung. An abscess is usually treated with antibiotics. Sometimes, surgery or drainage with a long needle or tube placed into the abscess is needed to remove the pus.