Abstract

At the close of the millennium, pneumonia remains “the captain of the men of death.” This famous aphorism of Osler still portrays a stark truth well-known to emergency physicians. Yet, recent developments in the approach to this disease may alleviate its pestilent sting.

This article distills the major published guidelines regarding the management of community-acquired pneumonia and the important literature upon which these guidelines are based. Two major concerns to the emergency physician are whom to admit and which antibiotics to use. While about 75% of patients may be appropriately treated as outpatients,¹ the real question remains, “How do we best identify the 25% who require admission?”

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