Guideline 59 - Supporting Material

Community Management of Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Adults

For respiratory tract isolates, when the identity of the organism has been confirmed, susceptibility can be predicted from a rapid beta-lactamase test in the laboratory and reference to the data below. All beta-lactamase negative Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis species are susceptible to amoxicillin. Erythromycin, penicillin (and amoxicillin) remain active against pneumococci.

The table below shows the % antibiotics susceptibility of 661 Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) and 938 Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) lower respiratory specimens collected from 17 laboratories in GB (England, Wales and Scotland) and in three in Ireland (Northern and Republic) in winter 1999-2000.

ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITY OF LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT ISOLATES, COLLECTED IN 1999-2000

Source of data: The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy antimicrobial resistance surveillance programme of respiratory tract pathogens.