There are many different types of community acquired pneumonia and the treatment is based on specific type of bacteria, virus, or fungus which is causing the lung infection.  Mild cases of bacterial pneumonia can be effectively treated with a course of oral antibiotics, while more serious infections may require hospitalization with combinationas of intravenous medications.  In theccase of viral  mediated pneumonias, antibiotics are usually not effective, but there are other modalities such as increasing oral or intravenous fluids, bronchodilator treatments, and sometimes steroids which may aid  relieving symptoms of shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.

The physician's clinical decision regarding the specific antibiotic or other medications, depends on many factors including the duration and severity of symptoms, other medical illnesses of the individual patient, and various diagnostic studies, including the physical exam, blood tests, sputum evaluation, and various radiographic studies.   

Some of the more common antibiotic therapies for previously healthy patients include the following:
1. Macrolides, such as Doxycycline, Clarithromycin, Azythromicin or Erythromycin.
2. Fluoroquinolones like Levofloxacin, gatifloxacin or Moxifloxacin
3. A Macrolide combined with Amoxicillin
4. A Macrolide combined with Augumentin

Other standard antibiotic combinations for patients with other associated conditions such as diabetes, cancer or heart failure, may include:
1. Macrolides like Azithromycin or Claritromycin
2. Fluoroquinolones like Levofloxacin, gatifloxacin or Moxifloxacin
3. A Macrolide combined with Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Cefpodoxime, Cefprozil or Cefuroxime.

In severe cases of pnewuomia with respiratory problems requiring hospitalization, the patients will be administered intravenous antibiotics and associated oxygen-therapy for assisting the difficult breathing. The most common type of pneumonia is caused by the bacterium called Streptococcus Pneumoniae and can be usually treated effectively in 5-10 days both intravenous and oral antibiotic therapy. The recovery period of the infection may be prolonged if pneumonia is caused by more aggressive bacteria like Pseudomonas or Legionella, by fungi or if the recovery is compromised by other medical conditions.

It is always important to take the complete course of medications prescribed by the physician and not only until symptoms disappear. Otherwise, it is possible that the initial bacterial infection may become resistant to the antibiotics and cause may recur in the future as a more difficult to treat bacterial infection.  Therefore, it is importgant to only take a course of antibiotics when the physician is fairly certain that the infection is caused by a specific bacterial pathogen.