Medical Outcomes and Antimicrobial Costs With the Use of the American Thoracic Society Guidelines for Outpatients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Abstract

Our findings support the use of erythromycin as recommended by the ATS guidelines for outpatients aged 60 years or younger with no comorbidity. Although the antimicrobial therapy recommended in outpatients older than 60 years or with 1 comorbidity or more is more costly, this observational study provides no evidence of improved medical outcomes in the small subgroup who received ATS guideline-recommended therapy.