[Duration of antibiotic therapy: how short is short enough?]

Shortening the duration of antibiotic therapy in various infections is safe and effective, as supported by evidence from randomized controlled trials. This strategy not only reduces antibiotic consumption and clinical side effects, but also shortens the length of hospital stay without affecting mortality and recurrence rates. This review summarizes current evidence from randomized controlled trials on the optimal treatment duration of bacteremia, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and other infections. For bacteremia with established source control, 7 days of antibiotic treatment is sufficient for most pathogens. For community-acquired pneumonia, 5-7 days, and for hospital-acquired pneumonia, 7-8 days are recommended by national guidelines. Certain infections still require longer treatment, with examples including endocarditis, bone and joint infections and tuberculosis.