Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)

Common pathogens

Streptococcus Pneumoniae (adults and children)

Mycoplasma Pneumoniae - Atypical bacteria

Viruses - RSV

H influenza (smokers/copd)

Staphylococcus aureus

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (cystic fibrosis)

Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)

First line treatment for previously healthy adults

Amoxicillin, doxycycline, macrolides are first line treatment for patients with no 

comorbidities/risk factors

Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)

What to give if first drug didn't work

Fluoroquinolones have been used; however, their use is discouraged unless the individual has 

been treated with an antimicrobial agent within the last 90 days that could increase the risk of a 

drug-resistant microbe.

Treatment for M. Pneumoniae in pediatric patient (Specific/example antibiotic from drug class 

will be provided)

Macrolides/ erythromycin

Treatment of CAP in pregnancy

PCN and erythromycin

If someone has been treated with an antibiotic in the previous 90 days of contracting CAP, a 

_______________ would be a prudent choice to prescribe.

quinolone

Be familiar with drug examples within the Fluoroquinnolone classes.

ll END in "Floxacin"

Cirpofloxacin (Cipro)

Levofloxacin (Levaquin)

Moxifloxacin (Avelox)

Treatment of chlamydial pneumonia in infant

(options will include dose, but if you know the correct drug, the dose will come with it on the 

exam so no need to memorize dose)

erythromycin 50 mg/kg/day PO divided into four doses for 14 days for either conjunctivitis or 

pneumonia.

Azithromycin may also be used.

500mg orally on day 1 followed by 250 mg once daily for 2-5 days

when to use broad spectrum antibiotics

Targets a wider number of bacteria types, acts on both gram+/gram- organisms, commonly used 

for empiric therapy when the pathogen is unknown or infection with multiple types of bacteria is 

suspected. Risks include dev. of abx. resistance.

Empiric antibiotics

What are they

Broad Spectrum

Empiric antibiotics

When to prescribe

Start treatment without cultures or prior to receiving the results of a culture. It is initiated when 

the patient's history, typical pathogens, gram stain results, and local susceptibility reports on 

which antibiotics work best in certain geographic locations

Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea

How to Treat

First, STOP the antibiotics that could have caused it

Vancomycin or Metronidazole