Duration of therapy for Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia

Kalil, 2016Metlay, 2019Uranga, 2016

The total duration of therapy for Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia is dependent on whether the patient has hospital-acquired pneumonia or community-acquired pneumonia. For patients with community-acquired pneumonia, the duration is also dependent on pneumonia severity. Severity assessment of community-acquired pneumonia is included for adults and children 2 months or older.

For adults and children with low- to moderate-severity community-acquired H. influenzae pneumonia, the total duration of therapy (intravenous + oral) is 5 to 7 days. If the patient has significantly improved after 2 to 3 days of antibiotic therapy, treat for 5 days. If the clinical response is slow, treat for 7 days. However, for children with low-severity community-acquired H. influenzae pneumonia, a shorter treatment duration of 3 days therapy is recommendedMcMullan, 2016.

For adults and children with hospital-acquired or high-severity community-acquired H. influenzae pneumonia, the total duration of therapy (intravenous + oral) is 7 days.

A longer duration of therapy is required for patients with H. influenzae pneumonia associated with complicated parapneumonic effusion or empyema complicating pneumonia. Patients with pericarditis may also require a longer duration of therapy – seek expert advice.

For management of patients who are not improving see (as relevant):

• Approach to managing adults with CAP who are not improving
• Approach to managing children 2 months or older with CAP who are not improving
• Approach to managing patients with HAP who are not improving
• Approach to managing patients with VAP who are not improving.

General strategies to prevent further episodes of pneumonia in adults are outlined in Prevention of CAP in adults. For strategies to prevent hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) or ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), see Prevention of HAP or Prevention of VAP.