Abstract
THE AMERICAN Thoracic Society in 1993 suggested that, in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the initial intravenous therapy may be switched to oral therapy (switch therapy) once the patient shows evidence of early clinical improvement.1 Since then, several clinical trials have documented that performing switch therapy once the patient reaches clinical stability is associated with good clinical outcome, adequate patient satisfaction, and decreased length of hospital stay.2-6