Can Short Antibiotic Treatment be Widely Used in Developed Countries

摘要

Childhood pneumonia is the most common killer of children <5 years worldwide. Although in the developed world pneumonia does not commonly result in death, it is an extremely common disease. Treatment is almost universally with antibiotics. However, the lack of appropriate definition of pneumonia, the difficulty in diagnosing the pathogen and cultural differences make it extremely difficult to agree on the ideal treatment. A short antibiotic course is preferred to a longer one, since if equally effective, it should be associated with lower cost, less adverse events and lower rates of antibiotic resistance in the community.