Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41572864›Full record

SynthesisDeutsches Arzteblatt international2026

Shorter Versus Longer Antibiotic Treatment in Children With Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses.

Alexander Benkendorff, Sibylle Puntscher, Magdalena Flatscher-Thöni, Nikolai Mühlberger, Anne Göhner, Susanne Beck, Anneke Clara Bergt, Laura Krabbe, Thomas L Heise, Lea Gorenflo and 7 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Take Diagnostic Uncertainty Into Account.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2026
    Article
  2. In Reply.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Alexander BenkendorffInstitute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg / Medical Faculty – University of Freiburg, Germany
Sibylle PuntscherInstitute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL – University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
Magdalena Flatscher-ThöniInstitute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL – University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
Nikolai MühlbergerInstitute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL – University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
Anne GöhnerPlanning, Management and Coordination Staff Unit, Division V – Social Affairs and Youth, Lörrach District Office, Lörrach, Germany
Susanne BeckChair of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Comparative Criminal Law and Legal Philosophy, Leibniz University Hanover, Germany
Anneke Clara BergtInstitute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg / Medical Faculty – University of Freiburg, Germany
Laura KrabbeInstitute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, Cologne, Germany
Thomas L HeiseInstitute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, Cologne, Germany
Lea GorenfloInstitute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg / Medical Faculty – University of Freiburg, Germany
Siegbert RiegMedical Department II, University Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, University Freiburg, Germany
Markus HufnagelDepartment for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, University Freiburg, Germany
Claudia BreuerCochrane Germany, Cochrane Germany Foundation, Freiburg, Germany
Angela M KunzlerInstitute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg / Medical Faculty – University of Freiburg, Germany
Uwe SiebertInstitute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL – University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
Jörg J MeerpohlInstitute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg / Medical Faculty – University of Freiburg, Germany
Christine SchmuckerInstitute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg / Medical Faculty – University of Freiburg, Germany

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExcessive antibiotic use promotes resistance and side effects and increases healthcare costs. Antibiotics are often prescribed to treat community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The optimal duration of treatment is debated. In this study, we compare the efficacy of shorter and longer antibiotic treatment for CAP in the outpatient setting and evaluate the pertinent economic, environmental, ethical, and societal issues.

methodsRelevant articles published up until 5 February 2024 were identified by searches in the electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL as well as in trial registries and in reference lists of systematic reviews, including health technology assessment (HTA) reports. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing short- and long-term antibiotic treatment in children with outpatient CAP were included in the benefit assessment. A 10% difference was set as the non-inferiority margin.

resultsSeven RCTs that studied a total of 8590 children were included. In young children with clinically diagnosed CAP, a three-day course of amoxicillin was non-inferior to 5-, 7-, or 10-day courses with respect to treatment success (relative risk [RR] 0.99; 95% confidence interval [0.96; 1.02]). Shorter treatment was associated with fewer (non-severe) adverse events (0.87, [0.78; 0.96]). Relapses and deaths were rare overall. Where shorter treatment was equally effective, it also had economic and ecological benefits.

conclusionThree days of antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin may be just as effective as longer treatment, and also better tolerated, in younger children with clinically diagnosed, outpatient, non-severe CAP, and would conserve resources. These findings can be taken into account in the formulation of guideline recommendations.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsCommunity-Acquired PneumoniaChildChild, PreschoolCommunity-Acquired InfectionsDrug Administration ScheduleDuration of TherapyFemaleHumansInfantMaleRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAnti-Bacterial Agents

Identifiers

PMID41572864
PMCPMC13340186

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.