Rapid Antibiotic Delivery and Appropriate Antibiotic Selection Reduce Length of Hospital Stay of Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia

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Abstract
COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED pneumonia (CAP) is diagnosed in approximately 4 million adults each year, 25% of whom require hospitalization.1,2 Pneumonia remains one of the most common reasons for adult hospitalization in the United States, and the overall incidence is on the rise. Between 1984 and 1995, discharge rates for CAP increased by more than 30%.3,4 Mortality from pneumonia is also increasing. Community-acquired pneumonia is the number 1 infectious cause of death,2 and between 1979 and 1994, the age-adjusted mortality rate for patients with pneumonia increased by 22%.5 Also, the economic burden of CAP is substantial, with annual direct costs exceeding $9.7 billion.4