In this multicenter target trial emulation of 5,620 clinically stable hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia, 3- to 4-day antibiotic courses showed similar 30-day mortality, readmission, and complication rates compared with durations of 5 days or longer. Despite comparable outcomes, only 10.1% of patients met strict eligibility criteria for short-course therapy, highlighting limited real-world applicability.

Source: Annals of Internal Medicine