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Chest infections - adult - Management
Basis for recommendation
This recommendation is consistent with guidelines produced by the British Thoracic Society [British Thoracic Society, 2004].
- Immediate empirical treatment with antibiotics is considered essential to reduce mortality, length of illness, severity of symptoms, and the likelihood of complications.
- Although the evidence from randomized controlled trials to support antibiotic use is limited, this is likely to be because the benefit of antibiotics is beyond doubt in this group. This would make placebo controlled trials unethical.
- Antibiotics may not be appropriate during the terminal phase of life, see the CKS topic on Palliative cancer care - cough.
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