General advice for patients with suspected pneumonia and a low CRB65 risk, is to rest, drink plenty of fluids and not to smoke. Using simple analgesia such as paracetamol⁶ to relieve chest pains.

Bacterial pneumococcal disease may be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotic choice and duration is dependent on the CRB65 risk.

After starting treatment symptoms should steadily improve – rate of improvement will vary dependant on severity of the pneumonia but patients should be advised⁵:

• 1 week: fever should have resolved
• 4 weeks: chest pain and sputum production should have substantially reduced
• 6 weeks: cough and breathlessness should have substantially reduced
• 3 months: most symptoms should have resolved but fatigue may still be present
• 6 months: most people will feel back to normal

Patients/Carers should be advised to seek advice if symptoms don’t improve or worsen after 3 days of treatment.