title: Antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia.
abstract: Antibiotic guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) often recommend broad-spectrum agents for severe pneumonia. While these may be entirely appropriate in terms of their spectrum of activity and efficacy, there is a risk that such recommendations could result in over-prescribing of broad-spectrum agents with consequent 'collateral damage', meaning superinfection by resistant pathogens, or selection of antibiotic resistance. Narrow-spectrum agents are often as effective and result in less collateral damage. National and local antibiotic guidance should promote choices of agents for narrow-spectrum prescribing even for severe CAP where appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Communicable Disease, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, UK. matthew.dryden@wehct.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dryden
authors.forename: Kieran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hand
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Davey
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents