title: Empiric antibiotic prescribing for patients with community-acquired pneumonia: where can we improve?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community acquired pneumonia is one of the most common infections for which antibiotics are prescribed in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We audited empiric antibiotic prescribing for 392 adults with community-acquired pneumonia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 61.9% of patients received empiric antibiotic coverage for both typical and atypical pathogens. Of those who required intensive care unit management, 34.6% did not receive antibiotic cover for atypical pneumonia pathogens within the first 24 h. Approximately 21.9% of patients reporting antibiotic allergies were given antibiotics to which they had a documented allergy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efforts to improve prescribing practices could be focused towards identifying patients with severe illness early and improving recognition of documented allergies.
authors.affiliation: Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, The Royal melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. kirsty.buising@mh.org.au
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Buising
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Thursky
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Macgregor
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Street
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents