Effect of macrolides as part of initial empiric therapy on length of stay in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia.

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Abstract
THERE ARE more than 5 million cases per year of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the United States, resulting in more than 1 million hospital admissions.1 The estimated annual cost of care is $34.4 billion.1 The predominant component of the cost of care is the cost of hospitalization, including nursing and hotel costs. In one recent large study2 in the Midwest, mean hospital length of stay (LOS) was found to be 8.5 days for teaching hospitals; in another multistate study,3 this was a reported 6.3 days. Such durations are in contrast to a goal of 2 days, which was recently suggested by consultants to the managed care industry.