when influenza might be becoming pneumonia

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This article from 2009:

And presumably, this is the case for adults, too.

And I think this is yet another reason it's helpful to have a doctor you see on a somewhat regular basis. Hopefully, the doctor can call in a prescription and you can start on it within a couple of hours. If it was me, I like to start on a medication within 6 hours, hopefully within 3 hours.

And I think with respiratory infection of any type, there are so many potential bugs that it is trial and error in a respectful sense. Even the best doctor in the world, all he or she can do is hit it with one broad-spectrum antibiotic, and if that doesn't work, hit it with another. I used to think this was sloppy medicine. But I've come round and now think of this as good medicine. And you might want to take yogurt while you take the antibiotic.

I AM NOT A DOCTOR. But I am interested in health issues, and to me, this is good specific, usable information.

I remember having bronchitis last December, though I never developed a fever. I had a really bad cough and I would often cough so hard it felt like I was going to vomit, and I did vomit after one round of coughing. I would also wake up in the middle of the night repeatedly, coughing, so I went to my primary care physician. She said she did not like the sound of my breathing when she listened to my chest and upper back using the stethoscope and she put me on antibiotics as well as Tessalon perles (which didn't do much), but next week was switched to Tussionex (which helped a lot better). I protested the antibiotics, saying that the infection was likely viral, but she insisted, and said the timing and the type of illness I had suggested bacterial infection, so I deferred to her.

Nevertheless, isn't there a concern that with evolution of bacteria, if antibiotics are used too much or not properly, the bacteria would become more resistant?

Yes, every time a person uses antibiotics there is some risk the bacteria will develop resistance. But you count, too! If she as a physician made a judgment call that the timing and type of illness suggested bacterial, I would have deferred to her, too. And it sounds like a really bad cough and I'm glad you're better.

The important thing is to finish the course of medication whether it's five days or ten days or whatever. Which can be tough. You know, they've done studies and even physicians themselves sometimes don't finish the medication, which is really incredible once you think about it. Myself, I do much better if it's a once a day medication I can take in the morning.

And if we're going to talk about the public health aspect and social responsibility, we've got to talk about the huge feeding of antibiotics to animals, like feeding it to every single chicken in some huge agricultural operation. There's no way this can be justified. This risk is an 'externality,' I think that's what economists may call it, which may come back to bite us big time.

My rule is to be concerned if symptoms don't improve in 48 hours.

As someone who can be prone to sinus infections, I know it's critical for me to get the nasal passages clear so that air prevents infection from getting hold.

I see it as a similar issue with pneumonia. If fluid starts to build up, your odds of it being more serious than the flu goes up exponentially. So, it's a priority to ease a person's breathing ASAP. If in 48 hours it's not getting better, see a doctor.