Criteria for Switching from Intravenous to Oral Antibiotic Therapy for an Adult with Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)

Patient selection: adult with community-acquired pneumonia

Criteria for switching from intravenous to oral antibiotic therapy - all of the following for at least 24 hours:

(1) able to ingest oral antibiotics

(2) heart rate < 100 beats per minute

(3) systolic blood pressure > 90 mm Hg

(4) oxygen saturation > 90% on room air or with low-flow supplemental oxygen or baseline oxygen level if receiving long-term oxygen therapy

(5) arterial PaO2 > 60 mm Hg on room air or with low-flow supplemental oxygen or baseline oxygen level if receiving long-term oxygen therapy

(6) respiratory rate < 25 breaths per minute

(7) cognitive status back to baseline

(8) body temperature < 100.9°F (< 38.3°C)