Antibiotic Therapy for Pneumonia in the Pediatric Population

Abstract

Approximately 4% of children aged less than 5 years and 2% of 5–10 year olds suffer from pneumonia every year in Western countries. Half of the under 5 year olds but less than 10% of the over 5-year-old children need hospital care. The available knowledge regarding the etiology of pneumonia comes from serological studies. Respiratory viruses are predominant in under 5 years olds and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children over 5 years of age. Mixed infections with two or more causative agents are common. Streptococcus pneumoniae is common at all ages, and complications are usually associated with pneumococcal infections or co-infections. Pneumococcal resistance to penicillins and macrolides is a globally expanding problem. The microbe-specific diagnosis of pneumonia is difficult and, therefore, antibiotic therapy is empirical based on research data and regional resistance monitoring. This review presents current concepts on the etiology, clinical picture, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of community-acquired pneumonia in basically healthy children, with the main focus on antibiotic therapy.