Just a quick question.....

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I just have a quick question, hopefully someone here can help me...

I had a patient for clinical and she was on CAP protocol.

I truly don't remember what CAP protocol is.... can someone help me with this? Thanks in advance!

neneRN, BSN, RN

642 Posts

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma.

Community Acquired Pneumonia protocol? Ours covers the antibiotics to be given as well as the flu shot/pneumonia vaccine.

Nili927

42 Posts

Thanks neneRN! That makes since now. That didn't cross my mind because I was focusing on her admitting dx which is GI Bleed, but as I read through the H & P I noticed that she has lower left lobe infiltrates and lung sounds are diminished at the bases.

I understand now! I have to remember to look at the whole picture and not only their admitting diagnosis.

Thanks alot:)

Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

Yep, always look at previous clinical circumstances to answer a few questions...hx of infection in the hospital? They're on isolation....

Daytonite, BSN, RN

1 Article; 14,603 Posts

Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

Just want to put in a few words here. The protocol will be something that will be specific for that facility. You will find the specific CAP protocol written out in the policy and procedure manual of the facility. If you can't find it in a hard copy on a nursing unit or facility computer, ask one of the unit nurses, unit secretary who will be familiar with transcribing doctor's orders or the nurse educator of the facility where you can get a copy of it. The CAP protocol for one facility will not necessarily be the same as it is at another facility. Protocols like this are developed and approved by a number of different hospital committees before they are put into use.

Here is a link to guidelines on the treatment of community acquired pneumonia from the National Guideline Clearinghouse (a U.S. government sponsored website). These are only recommendations that are out there for health providers to use as references. You will find information about CAP and discussion of different antibiotics that can be used for different patient situations. This is, in general, physician information so the reading may be a little slow, but there is good information there. You can search for other CAP guidelines in their database using the search box as I got a return of 48 guidelines and pulled up the first one that addressed adult CAP for you. I was trying to find more information on this since the treatment of CAP is something that JCAHO has specifically targeted. CAP is plain old run of the mill pneumonia for which no specific bacterial organism has been identified. Medicare (and JCAHO jumped on the bandwagon) is pushing for more precise diagnosis of pneumonia in order to streamline care and make treatment more efficient (thus saving dollars in the long run). If your patient has not already had tests done, you can expect that some efforts will be made to identify the specific bacteria, virus or fungi that is at the cause of your patient's pneumonia.

http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=9398&nbr=005034&string=Community+AND+Acquired+AND+Pneumonia

http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec05/ch052/ch052b.html - Community Acquired Pneumonia

http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/diseasemanagement/infectiousdisease/communitypneumonia/communitypneumonia.htm - Community Acquired Pneumonia

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