Published pneumonia treatment guidelines recommend performance of blood cultures for all inpatients to optimize therapy. Improved survival has been associated with optimal therapy. In addition, the yield of clinically useful information is greater if the culture is collected before antibiotics are administered.

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• American Lung Association
• National Institue of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - National Institutes of Health

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• Bartlett JG, Dowell SF, Mandell LA, et al. Practice guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;31:347-382.
• Heffelfinger JD, Dowell SF, Jorgensen JH, Klugman KP, et al. Management of community-acquired pneumonia in the era of pneumococcal resistance: a report from the Drug-Resistant Streptococcus Pneumoniae Therapeutic Working Group. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2000, 160:1399-1408.
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• Niederman MS, Mandell LA, Anzueto A, et al. Guidelines for the management of adults with community-acquired pneumonia. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2001; 163: 1730-1754.