Antimicrobial prescribing: NHS Grampian, Orkney & Shetland
Important: Therapy
- Collect sputum (AND blood cultures in pneumonia)
- For patients with pneumonia, send urine for legionella antigen and a viral throat swab.
- Consider diagnosis of influenza and isolate patient according to Patient Placement Tool [intranet link only]
- Always consider prior therapy; patients who have not responded to a recent course of antibiotics should receive an alternative agent
Oral therapy must be considered the norm except in SEVERE pneumonia or in patients unable to take oral therapy
Consider chemical pneumonitis as a differential diagnosis – antibiotics would not be indicated