Guideline for Antibiotic Use in Adults with Community-acquired Pneumonia

Lee, Mi Suk; Oh, Jee Youn; Kang, Cheol-In; Kim, Eu Suk; Park, Sunghoon; Rhee, Chin Kook; Jung, Ji Ye; Jo, Kyung-Wook; Heo, Eun Young; Park, Dong-Ah; Suh, Gee Young; Kiem, Sungmin

One of the most important decisions in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia is the one of hospitalization. Hospitalization of patients who do not require hospitalization causes an unnecessary increase in medical costs. Treating patients with mild pneumonia in outpatient clinics instead of hospitalizing them will allow these patients to return to their normal life and workplace faster [98] . Hospitalization increases the risk of thrombosis [99] , and the risk of infection by more pathogenic or resistant bacteria. On the other hand, treating a patient requiring hospitalization in an outpatient clinic, and later hospitalizing him/her after symptoms have worsened can increase the risk of death [100] . Higher mortalities have been reported among moderate community-acquired pneumonia are treated in general wards and are later admitted to ICU than among those who are treated in ICU from the beginning [101] . Therefore, it is important to appropriate decide whether a patient needs outpatient care or hospitalization depending on the severity of the disease and risk of death, and if the patient is hospitalized, whether he/she should be treated in a general ward or ICU.