Simvastatin as adjuvant therapy to correct neutrophil dysfunction in older pneumonia patients - a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial

Pneumonia (severe lung infection) is one of the commonest causes of death and the death rate has not fallen for many years. Elderly patients are at greater risk of pneumonia and its complications such as sepsis. Usually the immune system works cooperatively to clear infection and prevent organ damage. Neutrophils are cells of the immune system that are critical in clearing bacteria. These cells are the foot soldiers of the immune system and move from the blood into infected tissues/organs to locate and kill the invading bacteria using an arsenal of toxic products. Sepsis occurs when the bodies normally helpful reaction to infection becomes harmful. As part of this process, neutrophils stop working properly, they become less able to clear bacteria and release their toxic products indiscriminately, causing organ damage. Defects in the efficiency of these cells is associated with a poor outcome from pneumonia and sepsis.