Comparative Effectiveness of Ceftriaxone in Combination With a Macrolide Compared With Ceftriaxone Alone for Pediatric Patients Hospitalized With Community-acquired Pneumonia

Combination therapy did not appear to benefit preschool children but was associated with higher costs. Among school-aged children, combination therapy was associated with a shorter length of stay without a significant impact on cost. Development of sensitive point-of-care diagnostic tests to identify children with M. pneumoniae infection may allow for more focused prescription of macrolides and enable comparative effectiveness studies of targeted provision of combination therapy.