Antibiotics for Pneumonia -- Some say the Sooner, the Better

Hours count when it comes to taking antibiotics for pneumonia.

A new study finds giving older patients antibiotics within four hours of their arrival to the hospital for treatment of pneumonia reduces the time they spend in the hospital and increases their chance of survival.

Pneumonia is the second leading cause of hospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries. It is also the fifth leading cause of death among Americans over 65.

In the past, guidelines have recommended antibiotics and Medicaid services within eight hours of when a person with pneumonia is hospitalized. However, new research shows receiving the drugs within four hours is more beneficial.

For the study, researchers from the Centers for Medicare examined medical records of 18,209 Medicare patients who were hospitalized with pneumonia. Three quarters of the patients did not receive any treatment before coming to the hospital.

Among these patients, study authors say administering antibiotics within four hours of arrival to the hospital reduced death in the hospital, reduced the likelihood of dying within the next 30 days, and reduced the length of hospital stay.

Researchers say 60 percent of the patients received antibiotics within four hours of arriving to the hospital, but note there is still room for improvement. They write, “Given the growing size of Medicare population, any additional improvement in administration timing could prevent a substantial number of deaths each year and preserve health care resources.”


SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2004;164:637-644