Antimicrobial therapy aimed at managing CAP needs to provide agents with activity against a wide range of pathogens. In this regard the new respiratory fluoroquinolones offer the physician an excellent therapeutic option. Levofloxacin, one of the most widely used respiratory fluoroquinolones, possesses excellent antimicrobial activity as shown by MIC90s against all key respiratory pathogens, including S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, S. aureus, and the atypicals, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila. However, several studies have now shown that combinations of b-lactams with macrolides or azithromycin alone also can achieve high clinical cure rates. A comparative study between fluoroquinolones and b-lactams and macrolides combined would be helpful.