title: Comparison of 7 versus 10 days of antibiotic therapy for hospitalized patients with uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia: a prospective, randomized, double-blind study.
abstract: The objective of this study was to compare the outcome of 7 versus 10 days of antibiotic therapy for inpatients with moderately severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). A prospective, randomized, double-blind study with a follow-up period of 42 days was conducted. Fifty-two veterans were treated with 2 days of cefuroxime at 750 mg intravenously every 8 hours followed by group 1, 8 days oral therapy, and group 2, 5 days oral therapy followed by 3 days of placebo. Oral therapy consisted of cefuroxime axetil at 500 mg every 12 hours. No difference was seen in cure rates: 20 of 22 (90.9%) patients in group 1 and 21 of 24 (87.5%) patients in group 2. There were no late recurrences. Potential US cost-savings is $27.2 million. Inpatients with moderately severe CAP can be treated with 2 days of intravenous antibiotics followed by 5 additional days of oral antibiotics. Longer treatment duration prolongs the cost of care, without increasing the cure rate or decreasing the pneumonia recurrence rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York 10468, USA.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alicea
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blaiklock
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents