Shortened Antibiotic Treatment of 5 Days in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Inclusion Criteria: * Hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia; defined as new pulmonary infiltrate on chest X-ray and/or CT scan and at least one symptom compatible with pneumonia (cough, fever, dyspnoea and/or chest pain) * Initiation of antibiotics within 12 hours of the time of the chest X-ray with an infiltrate * Age ≥ 18 years * Afebrile (temperature ≤ 37.8 °C) for 48 hours at randomization * Clinically stable at randomization (systolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mm Hg, heart rate ≤ 100/min., respiratory rate ≤ 24/min., peripheral oxygen saturation ≥ 90%) Exclusion Criteria: * Immunosuppression (HIV-positive, neutropenia, corticosteroid treatment (≥10 mg/day of prednisone or the equivalent for \>30 days), chemotherapy, immunosuppressive agents, immunosuppressed after solid organ transplantation, asplenia) * Hospitalization during the previous 14 days * Antibiotic treatment (\>2 days) within the past 30 days, directed at lower respiratory tract pathogens * Uncommon cause requiring longer duration of antimicrobial therapy (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium spp., fungi) * Extrapulmonary infection (e.g. endocarditis, meningitis, or abscess) * Pleural empyema or lung abscess * Pleural effusion requiring drainage tube * Intensive care unit (ICU) admittance * Pregnancy and breastfeeding