BMJ  2006;333 (9 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.39051.576331.80

This week in the BMJ

Early use of oral antibiotics in severe community acquired pneumonia

Switching intravenous antibiotics to the oral route after three days in patients with severe community acquired pneumonia shortens hospital stay and seems to be safe. Oosterheert and colleagues (10.1136/bmj.38993.560984.BE) randomised 302 patients with pneumonia, who were not in intensive care, to receive three days of intravenous and seven days of oral antibiotics or 10 days of intravenous antibiotics. Mortality rates and clinical cure rates were similar in the two groups, but patients in the oral treatment group were discharged earlier.

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Relevant Article

Effectiveness of early switch from intravenous to oral antibiotics in severe community acquired pneumonia: multicentre randomised trial

Jan Jelrik Oosterheert, Marc J M Bonten, Margriet M E Schneider, Erik Buskens, Jan-Willem J Lammers, Willem M N Hustinx, Mark H H Kramer, Jan M Prins, Peter H Th J Slee, Karin Kaasjager, and Andy I M Hoepelman
BMJ 2006 333: 1193. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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