Community acquired pneumonia in Port Harcourt Rivers State of Nigeria

Abstract

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a leading cause of death in both developing and developed countries. Furthermore it may continue to represent an important threat to patients in future as the number of patients at risk (elderly people and those with comorbid conditions) increase.' Estimates of annual incidence vary between 1% and 12%.2 In the USA, four million episodes are reported annually, with 64 million days of restricted activity, 39 million days of bed confinement and 10 million days of work loss, with billions on dollars spent annually caring for the patients. Though data on prevalence-based burden of illness study is lacking in Africa, the situation may not be different.