[Effect of new oral antimicrobial agents in outpatient treatment of pneumonia in children].

In November 2004, "Guidelines for the Management of Respiratory Infectious Diseases in Children in Japan" was published ahead of the rest of the world, by Japanese Society of Pediatric Pulmonology/Japanese Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases, based on the data on causative organisms in the lower respiratory tract. In its 2011 version, classification of the severity of pneumonia was renewed based on the latest information. As a result, many types of pneumonia in children are now classified as mild or moderate. This means that many patients who might have conventionally required hospital treatment can now be managed on an outpatient basis. The reason for realization of the wider range of outpatient treatment is the availability of two new oral antimicrobial agents, tebipenem pivoxil and tosufloxacin tosilate hydrate, for the treatment of infections in children. Analysis of data on medical expenses shows a decreased rate of hospitalization due to pneumonia year by year after launch of these two drugs, suggesting that these drugs have contributed to wider range of outpatient treatment. This manuscript discusses the effect of tebipenem pivoxil and tosufloxacin tosilate hydrate in the treatment of pneumonia.