Antimicrobial therapy of community-acquired pneumonia

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common disorder that is potentially life-threatening, especially in older adults and patients with comorbid disease. Despite substantial progress in therapeutic options, CAP remains a primary cause of death from infectious disease in the United States. The mainstay of treatment for most patients is appropriate antimicrobial therapy. This article reviews the principles for initial antimicrobial therapy, highlights some of the differences in approaches to antimicrobial drug selection in selected guidelines, and includes new recommendations for empiric and pathogen-directed therapy of CAP.