Table 2. WHO standard case management of pneumonia defined by age groups and severity of disease.

	Standard Case Management
Diagnosis	Presenting signs	Recommended treatment
	and symptoms	regimens
Child 2–59 months
	Respiratory rate:
Severe pneumonia	≥50 aged 2–11 months	Penicillin 50 000 units/kg IM/IV Q6h for 3 days if
	≥40 aged 12–59 months	improved then oral amoxicillin 25 mg/kg three times
	Lower chest wall in-drawing	daily for total of 5 to 8 days
	Respiratory rate:
	≥50 aged 2–11 months
	≥40 aged 12–59 months	Chloramphenicol 25 mg/kg IM/IV 8 hourly for 5
Very severe	Lower chest wall in-drawing	days if improved then three times daily for total
pneumonia	Cyanosis	of 10 days antibiotic treatment
	Unable to drink
	Reduced level of consciousness	Oxygen therapy
	Severe respiratory distress
Infant <2 months
	Respiratory rate: ≥60	Gentamicin 7.5 mg/kg once daily for 8 days
	Severe lower chest wall in-	Penicillin 50 000 units/kg Q6h IM/IV for three days if
Severe/Very severe	drawing	improved then oral amoxicillin 25 mg/kg three time
pneumonia	Unable to breast-feed	daily for a total of 8 days antibiotic treatment
	Grunting
	Apneic spells	Oxygen therapy
Co-morbid conditions
Pneumonia in severely malnourished child	Signs and symptoms for severe/very severe pneumonia as above PLUS signs and symptoms for any of the following	Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on admission if not acutely ill
	Marasmus	Treatment for severe or very severe pneumonia as
	Kwashiorkor	above PLUS Gentamicin (7.5 mg/kg IM/IV) once daily for 7 days
	<60 Weight for Height	If the child fails to improve within 48 hours, add Chloramphenicol (25 mg/kg IM/IV 8-hourly) for 5 days
	2–6-month-old child with central
	cyanosis
	Hyper-expanded chest	Continue first-line antibiotic (such as
	Fast breathing	Chloramphenicol) as mixed infection with
Known/suspected	Chest X-ray changes, but chest	bacteria occurs
PcP	clear on auscultation
	Enlarged liver, spleen, lymph	Oral Cotrimoxazole: 120 mg three times daily if less
	nodes	than 5 kg; 240 mg three times daily if 5 kg or more for
	HIV test positive in mother or	21 days
	child