Community-acquired pneumonia: the elusive quest for the best treatment strategy

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent disease which can be fatal and has a heavy impact on resources use. The introduction of penicillin more than seventy years ago led to an impressive drop in the mortality rate in severe disease. A diminution of mortality in milder disease is less apparent, but appropriate antibiotics lead to a reduction of symptoms duration and of hospital resources use, which are important outcomes on a patient and societal perspective. However, despite previous works, some aspects of antibiotic treatment for this common condition remain unsettled.