Community-Acquired Pneumonia - Study on the Initial Treatment With Antibiotics of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Antibiotic Treatment of Community-acquired Pneumonia: a Prospective Comparison of Dutch Guideline Advices.

The purpose of this study is to compare the cost(effectiveness) of three existing antibiotic strategies for patients with community-acquired pneumonia admitted to the hospital, but not the ICU.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients admitted to one of the participating hospitals needing treatment for CAP, not being admitted to the ICU are eligible for study inclusion.
• Admission is defined as hospital stay for more than 24 hours.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are readmitted with CAP within 2 weeks after a previous episode are not eligible.
• Patients with cystic fibrosis are not eligible.