Jennifer L. Goldman

Rigorous evidence for antibiotic management of pediatric complicated pneumonia is lacking, likely contributing to variation in empiric antibiotic(s). Using the Pediatric Health Information System database, we sought to describe use and clinical outcomes of children hospitalized with complicated pneumonia who received empiric antibiotic regimens with and without methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) coverage. We evaluated empiric antibiotic selection on Day 0–1, grouping based on use of an antibiotic with or without MRSA coverage. We used generalized linear mixed effects models to examine the association of MRSA coverage and outcomes. Across 46 children's hospitals, 71.5% of children ( N = 1279) received an empiric antibiotic regimen with MRSA coverage. In adjusted analyses, length of stay, need for repeat pleural drainage procedures, 7‐day emergency department revisits and 7‐day readmissions were similar between groups. Future prospective studies examining the need for MRSA coverage may assist in refining national treatment guidelines for complicated pneumonia in children.