In children with community-acquired pneumonia, a shorter course of antibiotics is just as effective as a longer course. This is shown by a recent evaluation commissioned by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) under the direction of the University of Freiburg. The analysis of several studies shows that in children with this disease, a three-day treatment with amoxicillin is comparable to longer treatment durations of five or ten days in terms of therapeutic success. In addition, fewer side effects such as gastrointestinal complaints occurred with shorter treatments.

However, no clear statement can be made for other illnesses, such as acute otitis media in children. Here, the studies evaluated did not provide reliable evidence that a shorter duration of treatment is just as effective as a longer one. In many cases, the therapeutic success was even lower with shorter treatments. Therefore, the previous recommendation of not generally shortening the duration of treatment for middle ear infections remains valid.

For adults and adolescents with community-acquired pneumonia, there have been no corresponding studies to date, meaning that no reliable statements can be made in this regard. The scientists emphasize that further research is urgently needed to determine the optimal duration of therapy for different age groups and antibiotics.

According to the paper, shortened antibiotic therapy can have advantages from a public health perspective, such as a lower environmental impact, fewer side effects and a possible reduction in resistance. Nevertheless, a general recommendation for shorter durations is currently not possible. The decision on the duration of therapy should be made individually and together with the parents, taking into account both medical and social aspects.

Original Paper:

Antibiotic therapy: Does a shorter duration of administration lead to comparable treatment results?

Read also:

Increasing consumption of antibiotics in Germany – MedLabPortal

Around 40 million deaths expected due to antibiotic resistance – MedLabPortal

_{Editorial office: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR}

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