Terapia breve per la polmonite non complicata acquisita in comunità in età pediatrica: si può fare!

The paper reports the results published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in November 2022 of a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing brief therapy and prolonged therapy for the treatment of non-severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) with the same oral antibiotic. The results suggest the non-inferiority of a short versus a long cycle in children aged 2 to 59 months. In addition, short-term antibiotic therapy improves adherence, reduces adverse effects and drug costs, and reduces caregiver work absenteeism. Paediatricians should prescribe 5 days of antibiotic therapy with amoxicillin (90 mg/kg/day in 3 doses) for non-severe CAP, taking into account the results of several randomized clinical trials that are now available.