Comparing different durations of the same antibiotic therapy for non-severe community-acquired pneumonia in children under five years of age

Pneumonia is a major cause of mortality in children under five years of age. Treatment of pneumonia requires the use of an effective antibiotic in adequate doses for an appropriate duration. In most cases, treatment ranges between 7 and 14 days, but this is not based on any empirical evidence. Shorter duration of therapy, if found to be effective, would not only be beneficial in resource-poor settings but also result in improved adherence to therapy and reduced resistance to antibiotics and adverse effects. This review of four studies involving 6177 children found that a short course (three days) of antibiotic therapy is equally as effective as a longer treatment (five days) for non-severe pneumonia. We also found that different durations of either amoxicillin or cotrimoxazole give similar results in terms of clinical cure, failure of the treatment and rate of relapse.