Version 1.5, revision planned in 2011.
Last revised in August 2007
October 2010 — technical update. The management section of this topic has been simplified to improve clarity and navigation. There have been no changes to the clinical content or meaning of the recommendations.
September 2010 — minor update. The Supporting evidence on a delayed antibiotic prescribing strategy compared with a no antibiotic prescribing strategy has been updated. Issued in September 2010.
October 2009 — updated to include the BTS guidelines for the management of community acquired pneumonia in adults: update 2009 [British Thoracic Society, 2009]. Issued in November 2009.
April 2009 — minor update. Dose of erythromycin in the Prescriptions in the scenario Acute bronchitis has been corrected. Issued in May 2009.
January 2009 — minor update. Minor change in wording regarding when to prescribe doxycycline, erythromycin, and clarithromycin, in line with updated advice from the Health Protection Agency [HPA and Association of Medical Microbiologists, 2008]. Issued in February 2009.
May to August 2007 — converted from PRODIGY guidance to CKS topic structure. The evidence-base has been reviewed in detail, and recommendations are more clearly justified and transparently linked to the supporting evidence.
This CKS topic replaces the PRODIGY guidance on Chest infections, together with the CKS topic on Cough - acute with chest signs in children. Advice on the management of acute exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been removed and can now be found in the CKS topic on Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Prescriptions for oxytetracycline and for flucloxacillin have been removed.