[Treatment of community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospital admission : update]

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is most often empirically treated. Recent data suggest that beta-lactam-macrolide combination therapy is indicated for patients requiring hospital admission, particularly in the presence of signs of severity (for example, SOFA -Sequential Organ Failure Assessment - score ≥ 2), due to the potential anti-inflammatory effect of macrolides, despite the low prevalence of atypical organisms. Broadening the antibiotic spectrum against multidrug-resistant bacteria should be based on severity and individual risk factors for resistant bacteria rather than solely on the site of acquisition, to avoid overprescription. Finally, adjunctive corticosteroid therapy may also benefit moderately severe CAP with elevated C-Reactive Protein (CRP).