Reports on (in)appropriate antimicrobial use lack a reference standard for defining and measuring appropriateness of treatment.

Quinolones or macrolides should be restricted to selected cases empirically, given the low incidence of atypical pathogens in elderly patients and higher risks of adverse drug events and drug–drug interactions.

The use of low-dose computed tomography scanning, point-of-care ultrasonography, or point-of-care polymerase chain reaction testing for viral pathogens are promising research areas to decrease the inappropriate use of antimicrobials.