- Home
- » e-Newsletters
IDSA issues guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia
Infection Control Monitor, January 2, 2004
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) this month released new pneumonia and influenza guidelines to help physicians manage the treatment of patients with lung disease. The society updates the guidelines every few years to account for evolving resistance to antimicrobials and other advances. The latest version introduces new diagnostic and management strategies, including suggestions for initial empiric therapy for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
Since the cause of pneumonia is often difficult to determine, physicians usually begin treatment with antibiotics, which cover a broad range of pathogens. Previous versions of the guidelines included numerous drug options for the treatment of CAP, including fluoroquinolones, which are widely used to treat pneumonia.
The committee that updated the guidelines became concerned about misuse and overuse of fluoroquinolones, which could lead to the demise of fluoroquinolones as useful antibiotics within the next five to 10 years. Since the last revision in 2000, several compounds have been withdrawn because of serious safety concerns, and increasing resistance to this class of drugs. The guidelines include a table that lists the recommended treatment options for different situations. They also provide strategies on new topics such as CAP in the elderly and SARS.
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- Q/A: Volume requirement for reporting hydration services
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- Catch up on what's new with injections and infusions
- Topic: CMS, OESS post new security compliance review information, checklist
- Capturing all necessary codes for IUD insertion and removal can be challenging
- What does case-mix index mean to you?
- QA:Coding multiple initial infusions
- News and briefs: Oklahoma Osteopathic Association against residency bill change
- HIPAA Q&A: Level of encryption needed for email
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- E-mailed
-
- Q/A: Volume requirement for reporting hydration services
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- Catch up on what's new with injections and infusions
- New conflicts of interest create new challenges
- Q/A. One injection code or two?
- What does case-mix index mean to you?
- ED-to-inpatient transfers are flawed with safety gaps
- Joint Commission Center announces handoff communication solutions
- Inside best practice: Reduce patient falls with a stoplight
- Identify modifiable risk factors to prevent patient falls
- Searched