Paediatric Respiratory Unit, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 4LP, UK.
Community acquired pneumonia is a common illness with significant morbidity and mortality in children and a high cost to society. Guidelines for management in the UK were issued by the British Thoracic Society in 2002 [Thorax 57 (2002) 1]. This review summarises the guidelines with emphasis on aetiology, investigations and antibiotic treatment.