Short-Course vs Long-Course Antibiotic Therapy for Children With Nonsevere Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Oral switch vs. continued intravenous antibiotic therapy in patients with bacteraemia and sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Bacteraemia and sepsis have traditionally required continued intravenous (IV) antibiotics.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to evaluate if early transition to oral antibiotics is non-inferior to continued IV antibiotic therapy in treating patients with bacteraemia and sepsis.

DATA SOURCES

Data sources include MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and Wanfang databases from inception to 13 July 2024, along with clinical trial registries and Google.com.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Study eligibility criteria include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants include patients with bacteraemia and sepsis.

INTERVENTIONS

Interventions include early transition to oral antibiotics vs. continued IV antibiotics. Early oral switch was defined as 5-9 days for uncomplicated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, <4 weeks for complicated S. aureus bacteraemia, 3-7 days for uncomplicated Streptococcus bacteraemia, and 3-5 days for uncomplicated Enterobacterales bacteraemia.

ASSESSMENT OF RISK OF BIAS

Assessment of risk of bias includes Cochrane risk of bias tool and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

METHODS OF DATA SYNTHESIS

Random-effect models were used to pool the data. The primary outcome was treatment failure. The non-inferiority margin for treatment failure was 10%. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to rate the certainty of the evidence.

RESULTS

In total, 38 studies (6 RCTs, 10 adjusted cohorts, and 22 unadjusted cohorts) involving 11 566 patients were included. A primary analysis of 6 RCTs and 10 adjusted cohorts comprised 7102 patients. High-certainty evidence from six RCTs showed that early transition to oral antibiotics was non-inferior to continued IV therapy for treatment failure (n = 529; OR 0.89; 95% CI: 0.54-1.48). Low-certainty evidence from five adjusted cohorts also found no significant difference in treatment failure between the two groups (n = 929; OR 0.60; 95% CI: 0.29-1.72). Moderate-certainty evidence showed that oral switch therapy significantly reduced hospital stay (n = 2041; mean difference: -5.19 days; 95% CI: -8.16 to -2.22).

CONCLUSIONS

Early transition to oral antibiotics was non-inferior to continued IV antibiotic treatment for bacteraemia and sepsis.

Treatment of mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia in previously healthy children: an Italian intersociety consensus (SIPPS-SIP-SITIP-FIMP-SIAIP-SIMRI-FIMMG-SIMG)

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an acute infection of the lung parenchyma acquired outside the hospital or other healthcare settings, typically affecting previously healthy individuals. This intersociety consensus aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for the antibiotic treatment of mild to moderate CAP in previously healthy children in Italy.A systematic review was conducted to identify the most recent and relevant evidence. Embase, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane databases were systematically screened, with a date restriction from 2012 to April 2024, but without language limitations. The review included studies conducted in high-income countries on antibiotic therapy in children over 3 months of age diagnosed with mild-moderate CAP. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methods. The final recommendations were obtained through a Delphi consensus of an expert panel.Amoxicillin is the first-line treatment if the child is at least immunized against Haemophilus influenzae type b (low/very low quality of evidence, strong recommendations), while amoxicillin-clavulanate or second- or third-generation cephalosporins should be prescribed for those unimmunized or with incomplete immunization coverage for both H. influenzae type b and Streptococcus pneumoniae (low/very low quality of evidence, strong recommendations). Macrolides should be considered in addition to amoxicillin in children over 5 years old, if symptoms persist and the clinical condition remains good after 48 h of therapy (low/very low quality of evidence, strong recommendations). The dosage of amoxicillin is 90 mg/kg/day divided in three doses, although two doses could be considered to improve compliance (moderate quality of evidence, weak recommendations). A five-day duration of therapy is recommended, with clinical monitoring and re-assessment approximately 72 h after the start of antibiotic treatment to evaluate symptom resolution (moderate quality of evidence, strong recommendations).To improve the management of CAP in pediatric patients, we have developed this consensus based on a thorough review of the best available evidence and extensive discussions with an expert panel. However, further efforts are needed. Future research should focus on enhancing diagnostic accuracy, optimizing antibiotic utilization, comparing the efficacy of different antibiotic regimens, and determining the optimal dosage and duration of treatment in different setting.

Optimising antibiotic exposure by customising the duration of treatment for respiratory tract infections based on patient needs in primary care

Primary care antimicrobial stewardship programs have limited success in reducing antibiotic use, prompting the search for new strategies. Convincing general practitioners to resist antibiotic prescription amid uncertainty or patient demands usually poses a significant challenge. Despite common practice, standard durations for common infections lack support from clinical studies. Contrary to common belief, extending antibiotic treatment beyond the resolution of symptoms does not seem to prevent or reduce antimicrobial resistance. Shortening the duration of antibiotic therapy has shown to be effective in mitigating the spread of resistance, particularly in cases of pneumonia. Recent hospital randomised trials suggest that ending antibiotic courses by day three for most lower respiratory tract infections is effective and safe. While community studies are scarce, it is likely that these shorter, tailored courses to meet patients' needs would also be effective and safe in primary care. Therefore, primary care studies should investigate the outcomes of advising patients to discontinue antibiotic treatment upon symptom resolution. Implementing patient-centred, customised treatment durations, rather than fixed courses, is crucial for meeting individual patient needs.

Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in children: an update on antibiotic duration and immunization strategies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review is structured to update clinicians on the epidemiology, antibiotic treatment, and prevention of pediatric bacterial pneumonia. The review provides information regarding the current research on antibiotic management for bacterial pneumonia and the newest immunization recommendations to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia and other respiratory infections.

RECENT FINDINGS

The recommended length of antibiotic therapy for bacterial pneumonia has been discrepant between low-income and high-income countries. Recently, randomized controlled trials conducted in high-income countries provided evidence to support a short antibiotic course (3-5 days) for uncomplicated bacterial pneumonia in otherwise healthy children. The negative impact of inaccurate penicillin allergy labels in children with pneumonia has emphasized the importance of prompt allergy de-labeling. Newer pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for children and are expected to have a significant impact on bacterial pneumonia rates.

SUMMARY

Pediatric bacterial pneumonia is an important contributor to childhood morbidity and mortality. A short antibiotic course seems to be sufficient for the outpatient management of uncomplicated bacterial pneumonia; however, more studies are required in the inpatient setting. Future studies will inform the impact of recently introduced pneumococcal and respiratory syncytial virus vaccines on the epidemiology of bacterial pneumonia.

Childhood community-acquired pneumonia

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common disease in children, and its aetiological and clinical diagnosis are challenging for physicians in both private practice and hospitals. Over the past three decades, conjugate vaccines have successfully reduced the burden of the former main causes of CAP, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b. Today, viruses are by far the most commonly detected pathogens in children with CAP.  Conclusion: New insights into the aetiology and treatment of CAP in children in recent years have influenced management and are the focus of this review. In addition to reducing diagnostic uncertainty, there is an urgent need to reduce antibiotic overuse and antimicrobial resistance in children with CAP. What is Known: • Conjugate vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b have shifted the epidemiology of childhood CAP to predominantly viral pathogens and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. • Clinical, laboratory, and radiological criteria cannot reliably distinguish between bacterial and viral aetiology in children with CAP. What is New: • Test results and epidemiological data must be carefully interpreted, as no single diagnostic method applied to non-pulmonary specimens has both high sensitivity and high specificity for determining pneumonia aetiology in childhood CAP. • This review provides a simple and pragmatic management algorithm for children with CAP to aid physicians in providing optimal and safe care and reducing antibiotic prescribing.

Improving Short Course Treatment of Pediatric Infections: A Randomized Quality Improvement Trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Short courses of antibiotic treatment are effective for pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). We compared the effectiveness of education with performance feedback, clinical decision support (CDS), and the combination in encouraging appropriately short treatment courses by primary care clinicians.

METHODS

We designed a site-randomized, quality improvement trial within a large pediatric primary care network. Each practice was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: education and feedback; CDS; both interventions ("combined group"); and control. We performed difference-in-differences analysis to compare the proportion of cases with short course treatment before and after intervention among the 4 groups.

RESULTS

For all cases of CAP and SSTI, the proportion in the control group treated with the recommended duration did not change from the baseline period (26.1% [679 of 2603]) to the intervention period (25.8% [196 of 761]; P = .9). For the education and feedback group, the proportion rose from 22.3% (428 of 1925) to 45.0% (239 of 532; P < .001); for the CDS group, from 26.6% (485 of 1824) to 52.3% (228 of 436; P < .001); and for the combined group, from 26.2% (491 of 1875) to 67.8% (314 of 463; P < .001). A difference-in-differences analysis showed that all 3 intervention groups improved performance compared with the control group (P < .001); the combined group had greater improvement than the education and feedback group or the CDS group (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this quality improvement project to encourage shorter duration treatment of CAP and SSTI, both education with performance feedback and CDS were effective in modifying clinician behavior; however, the combination of the two was substantially more effective than either strategy alone.

Antibiotic course length for pneumonia in young children

Overview of: Li Q, Zhou Q, Florez ID, et al. Short-course vs long-course antibiotic therapy for children with nonsevere community-acquired pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2022;176:1199-1207.

Duration of antibiotic therapy among paediatricians: A national survey of current clinical practice in Spain

OBJECTIVES

Appropriate duration of antibiotic treatment is a key principle to reduce the emergence of bacterial resistance and antibiotic harm. The aim of this study was to document current clinical practice among Spanish paediatricians in terms of the duration of antibiotic therapy in both inpatient and outpatient settings, mapping the difference between practice and guidelines, and thus identifying opportunities to improve practice.

METHODS

A national exploratory work survey was distributed in 2020 as a questionnaire about seven main infectious syndromes in children: genitourinary; skin and soft tissue; osteoarticular; ear, nose and throat; pneumonia; central nervous system; and bacteraemia. The answers were contrasted with current recommendations regarding the duration of antibiotic therapy. Demographic analysis was also performed.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 992 paediatricians in Spain, representing 9.5% of paediatricians working in the Spanish national health system. Hospital care clinicians accounted for 42.7% (6662/15590) of responses. The antibiotic duration used in practice was longer than recommended in 40.8% (6359/15590) of responses, and shorter than recommended in 16% (1705/10654) of responses. Only 25% (249/992) and 23% (229/992) of respondents indicated that they would prescribe antibiotics for the recommended treatment duration for lower urinary tract infection and community-acquired pneumonia (AI evidence). Among severe hospital-managed infections, a tendency towards longer courses of antibiotics was found for non-complicated meningococcal infections and non-complicated pneumococcal, Gram-negative and S. aureus bacteraemia.

CONCLUSIONS

A noteworthy tendency towards prescribing antibiotics for longer than recommended among paediatricians was evidenced in this nationwide study, highlighting a wide range of opportunities for potential improvement.

Short-term antibiotic therapy for the most common bacterial respiratory infections in infants and children

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics have strongly accelerated the progressive increase in bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The evidence that antimicrobial selective pressure was greater the longer the antibiotic therapy was continued has led some experts to reconsider duration of antibiotic therapy testing the use of short-term drug administration. If as effective as long-term therapy, short-term therapy could have been an easy measure to limit AMR emergence. In the present narrative review, whether present knowledge on short-term therapy of acute streptococcal pharyngitis (ASF), acute otitis media (AOM) and mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) allows systematic use of short-term therapy in infants and children with these diseases is discussed. Literature analysis showed that reducing the duration of antibiotic therapy for some of the most common pediatric respiratory infections could be a valid measure to contain the antibiotic abuse and the consequent impact on the emergence of AMR. Several data seem to indicate that this type of intervention is possible, as short-term therapy has been found as effective as the traditionally recommended long-term therapy in some cases of ASF, AOM and mild to moderate CAP. However, further studies are needed to better characterize infants and children who can have benefit with short-term antibiotic therapy in common bacterial respiratory infections.

Durée d’une antibiothérapie pour une pneumonie acquise dans la communauté chez l’enfant

Question

Un enfant de 4 ans est venu à notre clinique, présentant un tableau clinique conforme à une pneumonie acquise dans la communauté (PAC). On lui a prescrit de l’amoxicilline par voie orale, et un collègue s’est demandé quelle devrait être la durée du traitement. Quelles sont les données probantes actuelles concernant la durée du traitement pour une PAC sans complication en milieu ambulatoire?

Réponse

La durée d’une antibiothérapie auparavant recommandée pour une PAC sans complication était de 10 jours. Des données probantes récentes tirées de quelques essais randomisés contrôlés indiquent qu’une durée de 3 à 5 jours n’est pas inférieure à un régime thérapeutique plus long. Dans un effort pour prescrire la durée efficace la plus courte afin de minimiser le risque d’une résistance antimicrobienne liée à une utilisation prolongée d’antibiotiques, les médecins de famille devraient offrir de 3 à 5 jours d’antibiotiques appropriés et surveiller le rétablissement des enfants souffrant d’une PAC.

Consider Short Course of Antibiotics for Children with Nonsevere Community-Acquired Pneumonia

According to this study: A systematic review and meta-analysis found high-quality evidence that a shorter course of antibiotics was noninferior to a longer course in children ages two to 59 months who had nonsevere community-acquired pneumonia.Clinicians should consider prescribing a shorter course of antibiotics for the management of nonsevere community-acquired pneumonia in children.

Comparison of Short-Term Versus Long-Term Antibiotic Therapy Among Severe Cases of Pneumonia: A Prospective Observational Study Among Children

Introduction Pneumonia continues to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children younger than five years. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends intravenous antibiotics for five days for severe pneumonia. However, the optimum duration of parenteral antibiotic therapy for pneumonia is not practicable and feasible in poor and resource-constrained settings like India. Given the current Indian scenario wherein childhood pneumonia is extremely prevalent, we attempted to undertake this study to compare the duration of antibiotic therapy in severe cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods A prospective observational study was carried out on 225 cases of severe and very severe CAP patients at a tertiary care center. The study group included children between two months to five years of age. The participants were subjected to antibiotic therapy (parenteral) plus supportive care. The selection of antibiotics was empirical and according to the WHO acute respiratory infection control program. Hematological parameters including blood hemoglobin, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and total leukocyte count, and radiological evaluation were performed on all the participants. Cases were followed up for the duration of clinical response. Results Out of the 225 cases, 25 patients did not respond to antibiotics and were categorized as the treatment failure group. Of the remaining 200 cases, 104 (52%) showed clinical response within three days (3.0±0.016), and 96 showed a response in four to seven days (4.4±0.064). The mean duration of antibiotic therapy among short-course versus long-course treatment was statistically significant (p<0.0001). The majority of patients developed leukocytosis, neutrophilia, and elevated ESR.  Conclusion Short-course parenteral antibiotics therapy was equally effective as long-course therapy in severe pneumonia. However, very severe pneumonia patients required a longer course of parenteral antibiotics therapy. Very severe pneumonia was significantly associated with high mortality and treatment failure.