Antibiotic treatment duration for community-acquired pneumonia in children

QUESTION: A 4-year-old child was seen in our clinic with a clinical presentation consistent with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). He was prescribed oral amoxicillin and a colleague asked about the duration of treatment. What is the current available evidence for treatment duration for uncomplicated CAP in an outpatient setting? ANSWER: Previously the recommended duration of antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated CAP was 10 days. Recent evidence from several randomized controlled trials suggests that a 3- to 5-day duration is noninferior to a longer treatment course. In an effort to prescribe the shortest effective duration of antibiotics to minimize the risk of antimicrobial resistance associated with prolonged antibiotic use, family physicians should offer 3 to 5 days of appropriate antibiotics and monitor the recovery of children with CAP.