CKS is no longer commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE remains committed to providing a replacement service for CKS and is currently reviewing its options. In the meantime, although CKS content is now not being maintained, it still remains relevant and will continue to be made available. CKS content was generated under a programme of topic creation and update. To check if the topic you are viewing is current or out of date, please refer to the topic publication details by clicking on the 'How up-to-date is this topic?' link in the left hand menu on individual topic pages.
Chest infections - adult - Management
Which antibiotic should I prescribe in a person with community-acquired pneumonia?
- Amoxicillin is the first-line antibiotic for most people.
- Doxycycline or clarithromycin if the person is allergic to penicillin.
- Consider doxycycline, alone or combined with amoxicillin, if infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae is suspected (most likely in school age children and young adults with non-severe symptoms if there is a known epidemic).
- If the person has severe pneumonia that would normally be treated in hospital, consider prescribing one of the following:
- Amoxicillin combined with clarithromycin.
- Doxycyline.
- For details of dosing regimens, contraindications, and adverse effects of these antibiotics, see the sections on Amoxicillin and co-amoxiclav, Doxycycline, and Clarithromycin in Prescribing information.
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement