The use of a single, narrow-spectrum antibiotic such as ampicillin/penicillin is increasingly the first line of treatment for children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), according to a recent study.
Broader-spectrum agents such as third-generation cephalosporins have largely fallen out of favor since the 2011 release of the first national consensus management guidelines recommending the revised strategy.
Adherence to the guidelines has been most prevalent among hospitals that proactively disseminated the recommendations, the researchers write. The findings point to the efficacy of individual hospital-based initiatives for timely implementation of national guidelines, Derek J. Williams, MD, MPH, from Monroe Carell Jr Children’s Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues report in an article published online June 22 in Pediatrics.
Pneumonia in Kids: Antibiotic Guideline Adherence Rising
