Bacterial pneumonia in the elderly: a reappraisal of conventional therapy, with a note on cefamandole

Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in the elderly has for years been attributed almost exclusively to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Recent technical advances have provided bacteriologic and epidemiologic data demonstrating that other pathogens are important causes of pulmonary infection in older patients. This report reviews these data and reappraises the conventional therapy of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in geriatric patients. Some properties of a new antibiotic, cefamandole nafate, are described.