The choice of empirical antibiotic treatment for patients with clinically suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) who are admitted to non–intensive care unit (ICU) hospital wards is complicated by the limited availability of evidence. We compared strategies of empirical treatment (allowing devi

n engl j med 372;14 nejm.org April 2, 2015 1312 From the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care (D.F.P., C.H.W., M.J.M.B.) and the Departments of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases (D.F.P., A.I.M.H., J.J.O.) and Medical Microbiology (M.J.M.B.), University Medical Center Utrecht, and the Departments of Internal Medicine (D.F.P.), Pulmonology (L.J.R.E.), and Medical Microbiology (S.F.T.T.), Diakonessenhuis Utrecht, Utrecht, the Department of Medical Microbiology, Amphia Ziekenhuis Breda, Breda (J.A.J.W.K.), the Department of Pulmonology, Medisch Centrum Alkmaar, Alkmaar (W.G.B.), the Department of Internal Medicine, Kennemer Gasthuis Haarlem, Haarlem (C.J.C.), the Department of Pulmonology, Spaarne Ziekenhuis, Hoofddorp (E.W.), and the Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam (J.M.P.) — all in the Netherlands. Address reprint requests to Dr. van Werkhoven at the University Medical Center Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, the Netherlands, or at c . h . vanwerkhoven@ umcutrecht . nl.