Antimicrobial agents for community-acquired respiratory tract infections.

Chemotherapy of community-acquired respiratory tract infections was reviewed from a microbiological perspective. The current worldwide spread of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and of ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae has required a reassessment of the antimicrobial agents being used for empiric therapy. In vitro data with different orally administered antibiotics were reviewed in order to identify any deficiencies in their spectra of activity against four common respiratory tract pathogens. Cefixime, cefuroxime axetil, cefprozil, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were active against all four species other than penicillin-resistant pneumococci.