RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Community-acquired pneumonia as an emergency JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP erj01998-2010 DO 10.1183/09031936.00199810 A1 S. Ewig A1 A. Torres YR 2011 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2011/02/24/09031936.00199810.abstract AB Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the major contemporary acute life-threatening conditions. Short-term mortality reaches 14% (7% if nursing-home residents and bedridden patients are excluded), and long-term mortality 50% within five years.CAP and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have very much in common as regards acuity, prognosis, need for risk stratification, early intervention, as well as secondary prevention measures. The obvious success in the treatment of AMI is due to an effective organization of pre-hospital care and evidence-based interventions in the hospital within defined time-slots.Less evidence is available about effective strategies to lower short-term and long-term mortality in patients with CAP. Nevertheless, it is estimated that around 30% of hospitalised patients with CAP could be subject to a management approach in parallel to that of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Management of patients with severe CAP should be intensified by all elements well established in the care for patients with ACS and stroke. One of the main challenges of future research will be to define whether and which additional patients at risk of mortality truly profit from timely and structured interventions. In the meantime, also patients at increased risk of death according to clinical prediction tools should be subject to such an aggressive management approach.