ABSTRACT
To enhance the quality of patient care, Hamad Medical Corporation [HMC] has previously adopted guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia [CAP] based upon the PSI model. We audited retrospectively the management of CAP inpatients admitted to Hamad General Hospital from 1 January until 31 June, 2008 with the objective of establishing whether these HMC guidelines were being implemented appropriately. Sixty-nine patients with CAP were admitted during the study period. Guidelines for the assessment of disease severity at presentation were not followed in all patients. Appropriate antibiotic therapy was instituted in 52 [75.4%] cases. Ten patients died [14.5%]. The rate of use of a severity assessment score to stratify patients with CAP based on recognized guidelines was zero and the death rate of 1 4.5% might reflect that noncompliance