Objective:
To evaluate the outcomes of shorter antibiotic courses compared to longer courses in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia who are clinically stable by day 3.
Key Findings:
- Mortality was less than 1% in both short- and longer-duration groups.
- Readmission rates were about 8% to 9% within 30 days.
- Urgent health care visits and Clostridioides difficile infections occurred at similar rates.
- Antibiotic-associated adverse events were uncommon and similar between groups.
Interpretation:
Findings apply to clinically stable patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, but only about 10% met eligibility criteria, limiting generalizability.
Limitations:
- Few patients received short-course therapy.
- Residual confounding may have influenced results.
- Low event rates limited precision.
- Follow-up was limited to 30 days.
Conclusion:
Shorter antibiotic courses were associated with similar outcomes compared to longer courses in clinically stable patients, supporting guidelines for shorter treatment durations.
