Summary

• Acquired by inhalation of aerosolised bacteria or, rarely, micro-aspiration of contaminated drinking water.
• Presentation includes respiratory symptoms such as cough (may not be productive) and SOB, fever, chills, and chest pain. Other symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhoea.
• Definitive diagnosis is made with a positive laboratory test.
• First-line treatment is with a fluoroquinolone or a newer-generation macrolide.
• Complications are the same as those for pneumonia and include respiratory failure, parapneumonic effusion, empyema, lung abscess, and death.