Ambulatory care: Pneumonia (CAP, HAP, healthcare associated pneumonia including aspiration pneumonia)

See Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP): non-severe (CURB65= 0-1)

See Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP): moderate/ severe (CURB65=2-5)

See Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HAP) including aspiration pneumonia: non severe

See Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HAP) including aspiration pneumonia: severe

• Explain to patient that after starting treatment their symptoms should steadily improve, although the rate of improvement will vary with the severity of the pneumonia. Most adults can expect that by:
  • 1 week: fever should have resolved
  • 4 weeks: chest pain and sputum production should have substantially reduced
  • 6 weeks: cough and breathlessness should have substantially reduced 
  • 3 months: most symptoms should have resolved but fatigue may still be present 
  • 6 months: they will feel back to normal
• Give advice to people with community-acquired pneumonia (or their parents or carers, if appropriate) about:
  • possible adverse effects of the antibiotic(s) 
  • seeking further advice (if the person is receiving treatment in the community or via hospital at home service) if:
    •     symptoms worsen rapidly or significantly or
    •     symptoms do not start to improve within 3 days or
    •     the person becomes systemically unwell.

See NICE's guideline on pneumonia in adults: diagnosis and management (NG250).