Table 2 Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria | Â |
|---|---|---|
Patients aged 18 years or more | Previous receipt of a quinolone, macrolide, or ceftriaxone or more than one dose of any other antibiotic within 72 h prior to enrolment (excepted prophylactic antibiotics or antibiotics given for urinary tract infection) | Â |
Acute LRTI (acute illness, less than 21 days, with at least one lower respiratory tract symptom, i.e., cough, sputum, dyspnea, chest pain, and no alternative explanation) | Acute care hospital stay in the previous 14 days | Â |
At least one of the following clinical criteria: | Cystic fibrosis | Â |
o Focal abnormal auscultation (decreased breath sounds, crackles, bronchial breath sounds) | Severe COPD (≥GOLD 3 or if not available, as a proxy: exacerbation treated with antibiotics during the last 6 months) |  |
o Fever (documented temperature ≥ 38°C in the last 24 h, including self-measured temperature ≥ 38°C) | Severe immunodeficiency (drug-induced neutropenia with <500 neutrophils/mm3, HIV infection with CD4<200 cells/mm3, solid organ or bone marrow transplant recipient, prednisone ≥ 20 mg/day for >28 days) |  |
o Tachypnoea (respiratory rate ≥ 24/min) | Initial admission of the patient in the intensive care unit |  |
o Tachycardia (heart rate ≥ 100/min | Microbiologically documented infection with SARS-CoV-2 (in the last 10 days) |  |
Lack of decision-making capacity | Â |