The management of isolated fast breathing is therefore unknown and our experience suggests that these infants could perhaps be managed without antibiotics. Widespread application of the WHO clinical algorithm could therefore result in the referral of as many as 13.7% (135.7 per 1000 live births) of all infants for isolated fast breathing, the vast majority of these unnecessarily, and exposing infants to a high risk of nosocomial sepsis and hospital mortality in addition to over-burdening health resources.