Guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia - Current recommendations and antibiotic selection issues

In the past decade, several guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) have been published by a variety of organizations. Each has its own focus and methodology, and this article summarizes and compares the existing guidelines, emphasizing newer guidelines and areas of consensus. A guideline focuses on many patient care issues, in addition to antibiotic selection, but when antibiotics are administered, certain principles must be followed, and these are discussed. The principles focus on the timing and selection of specific agents, the need to account for atypical pathogen infection in all patients, the strategies for dealing with drug-resistant organisms, and the way to incorporate new antimicrobial agents into daily practice. Guidelines are useful for CAP management, making care more organized and uniform and leading to measurable improvements in a variety of outcomes, including mortality and length of stay.