Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one the most common infectious diseases addressed by clinicians. It is a major health problem in the United States and is an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Abstract. Combination treatment with a β-lactam plus a macrolide may improve the outcome for elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is defined as an acute infection of the pulmonary parenchyma in a patient who has acquired the infection in the community, as It seems to us that you have your JavaScript disabled on your browser. Antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia: Is azithromycin out? Randomized Controlled Trials, Infectious Disease and Sepsis, Policy, Ethics, Education Add a Comment. Apr 12 2015. Is it time for a change in the standard treatment of community-acquired pneumonia? A new Dutch study says, maybe. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) says, not so fast. IDSA's guidelines for. Most outpatients with community acquired pneumonia are treated with azithromycin (or another macrolide antibiotic) as this drug gives a simple treatment regimen (single drug, simple dosing, short course). However, the efficacy of this regimen has been questioned in recent years due to increasing macrolide resistance. 1. Introduction. Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide [1–3]. The annual incidence of CAP ranges from 5 to 11 cases per 1000 adults and is known to vary markedly with age, being higher in the very young and elderly people. Wayne A. Ray, Ph.D. Retrospective cohort study of patients 65 years of age or older with pneumonia treated according to national clinical practice guidelines. Patients treated with azithromycin and levofloxacin were matched according to propensity score. The primary outcomes were total mortality and However, since she has no pneumonia-specific MDR risk factors but does have risk factors for severe community-acquired pneumonia, we would initiate treatment with ceftriaxone and azithromycin. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has published guidelines for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Although Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the most common etiologic agent, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila are also important causes. Community-acquired pneumonia is diagnosed by clinical features (e.g., cough, fever, pleuritic chest pain) and by lung imaging, usually an infiltrate seen on chest radiography.