Should Macrolides Be Used for Community-Acquired Pneumonia?

In a retrospective study of 643 patients with pneumonia caused by S. pneumoniae, macrolide susceptibility did not affect clinical outcomes.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is implicated in 20% to 60% of cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) requiring hospitalization. Currently, macrolide antibiotics are recommended alone or in combination for patients with CAP. However, the prevalence of macrolide resistance in S. pneumoniae has been increasing and is currently up to 35%. To examine the clinical outcomes of patients with pneumonia caused by macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae, investigators performed a retrospective observational study using data prospectively collected at a hospital in Barcelona.

From 2000 through 2013, 643 nonimmunocompromised hospitalized adults with CAP had cultures positive for S. pneumoniae. In 504 (78%), S. pneumoniae was macrolide susceptible, whereas in 13…

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Should Macrolides Be Used for Community-Acquired Pneumonia?

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Reviewing Author