The significance of pneumonia in the elderly.

Pneumonia used to be considered the old person's friend, and it is still a major factor in the life and death of many old people. Most articles dealing with pneumonia in the elderly concentrate on diagnostic problems and advances in treatment, invasive procedures and intensive care. Little consideration is given to the ethical issues involved in the prolongation of the life of a person whose quality of life may be exceedingly poor. Studies of pneumonia should more clearly identify patients who should be treated and, if possible, cured, and those to whom the infection comes as a friend indeed.