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Frigati L, Greybe L, Andronikou S, Eber E, Sunder B Venkatakrishna S, Goussard P. Respiratory infections in low and middle-income countries. Paediatr Respir Rev 2024:S1526-0542(24)00073-3. [PMID: 39304357 DOI: 10.1016/j.prrv.2024.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the epidemiology, aetiology, diagnostics and management of childhood pneumonia in low and middle income countries (LMICs). DESIGN Review of published english literature from 2019 to February 2024. RESULTS Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) still result in significant mortality in children under 5 years of age in LMICs. Important studies have reported a change in the pathogenesis of LRTIs over the last 5 years with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) resulting in a large burden of disease. SARS-CoV-2 had a significant direct and indirect impact in children in LMICs. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains a priority pathogen in all children. Nucleic acid amplification and rapid antigen tests have improved diagnostic accuracy for MTB and other bacterial pathogens. Point of care diagnostics may overcome some limitations, but there is a need for better cost-effective diagnostics. Access to shorter courses of TB treatment are now recommended for some children, but child friendly formulations are lacking. The role of chest X-ray in TB has been recognized and included in guidelines, and lung ultrasound to diagnose LRTI is showing promise as a lower cost and accessible option. CONCLUSION Advances in diagnostics and large multi-centre studies have provided increased understanding of the causative pathogens of LRTIs in LMICs. Increased access to preventive strategies such as vaccines, treatment modalities including antivirals, and addressing upstream factors such as poverty are essential if further declines in LRTIs in LMICs are to be realised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Frigati
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Leonore Greybe
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Savvas Andronikou
- Department of Pediatric Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ernst Eber
- Division of Paediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Pierre Goussard
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
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Muhammad A, Shafiq Y, Nisar MI, Baloch B, Pasha A, Yazdani NS, Rizvi A, Muhammad S, Jehan F. Effect of maternal postnatal balanced energy protein supplementation and infant azithromycin on infant growth outcomes: an open-label randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2024; 120:550-559. [PMID: 38925354 PMCID: PMC11393397 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal undernutrition is a direct risk factor for infant growth faltering. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the effect of postnatal balanced energy protein (BEP) supplementation in lactating women and azithromycin (AZ) in infants on infant growth outcomes. METHODS A randomized controlled superiority trial of lactating mother-newborn dyads was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan. Mothers intending to breastfeed their newborns with mid-upper arm circumference of <23 cm and live infants between 0 and 6 d of life were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 arms in a 1:1:1 ratio. Lactating mothers in the control arm received standard-of-care counseling on exclusive breastfeeding, nutrition, infant immunization, and health promotion plus iron-folate supplementation until the infant was 6 mo old. In intervention arm 1, mothers additionally received two 75-g sachets of BEP per day. In intervention arm 2, along with the standard-of-care and BEP to the mother, the infant also received 1 dose of azithromycin (20 mg/kg) at the age of 42 d . The primary outcome was infant length velocity at 6 mo. The total sample size was 957 (319 in each arm). RESULTS From 1 August, 2018 to 19 May, 2020, 319 lactating mother-newborn dyads were randomly assigned in each arm, and the last follow-up was completed on 20 November, 2020. The mean difference in length velocity (cm/mo) between BEP alone and control was 0.01 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.03, 0.06), BEP plus AZ and control was 0.08 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.13), and between BEP + AZ and BEP alone was 0.06 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.11). There were 1.46% (14/957) infant deaths in the trial, and 17.9% (171/957) nonfatal events (injectable treatment and/or hospitalizations) were recorded. CONCLUSIONS Postnatal maternal BEP supplementation and infant AZ administration could modestly improve infant growth outcomes at 6 mo, suggesting potential benefits in simultaneously addressing maternal and infant undernutrition. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03564652.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameer Muhammad
- Vaccines and Other Initiatives to Advance Lives (VITAL) Pakistan Trust, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Yasir Shafiq
- Center of Excellence for Trauma and Emergencies and Community Health Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan; Global Advancement of Infants and Mothers (AIM), Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health (CRIMEDIM), Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "Amedeo Avogadro," Vercelli, Italy
| | - Muhammad Imran Nisar
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Benazir Baloch
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Aneela Pasha
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Nida Salman Yazdani
- Vaccines and Other Initiatives to Advance Lives (VITAL) Pakistan Trust, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Arjumand Rizvi
- Centre of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sajid Muhammad
- Centre of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Fyezah Jehan
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
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Pavlinac PB, Platts-Mills JA, Liu J, Atlas HE, Gratz J, Operario D, Rogawski McQuade ET, Ahmed D, Ahmed T, Alam T, Ashorn P, Badji H, Bahl R, Bar-Zeev N, Chisti MJ, Cornick J, Chauhan A, De Costa A, Deb S, Dhingra U, Dube Q, Duggan CP, Freyne B, Gumbi W, Hotwani A, Kabir M, Islam O, Kabir F, Kasumba I, Kibwana U, Kotloff KL, Khan SS, Maiden V, Manji K, Mehta A, Ndeketa L, Praharaj I, Qamar FN, Sazawal S, Simon J, Singa BO, Somji S, Sow SO, Tapia MD, Tigoi C, Toure A, Walson JL, Yousafzai MT, Houpt ER. Azithromycin for Bacterial Watery Diarrhea: A Reanalysis of the AntiBiotics for Children With Severe Diarrhea (ABCD) Trial Incorporating Molecular Diagnostics. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:988-998. [PMID: 37405406 PMCID: PMC11011181 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial pathogens cause substantial diarrhea morbidity and mortality among children living in endemic settings, yet antimicrobial treatment is only recommended for dysentery or suspected cholera. METHODS AntiBiotics for Children with severe Diarrhea was a 7-country, placebo-controlled, double-blind efficacy trial of azithromycin in children 2-23 months of age with watery diarrhea accompanied by dehydration or malnutrition. We tested fecal samples for enteric pathogens utilizing quantitative polymerase chain reaction to identify likely and possible bacterial etiologies and employed pathogen-specific cutoffs based on genomic target quantity in previous case-control diarrhea etiology studies to identify likely and possible bacterial etiologies. RESULTS Among 6692 children, the leading likely etiologies were rotavirus (21.1%), enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli encoding heat-stable toxin (13.3%), Shigella (12.6%), and Cryptosporidium (9.6%). More than one-quarter (1894 [28.3%]) had a likely and 1153 (17.3%) a possible bacterial etiology. Day 3 diarrhea was less common in those randomized to azithromycin versus placebo among children with a likely bacterial etiology (risk difference [RD]likely, -11.6 [95% confidence interval {CI}, -15.6 to -7.6]) and possible bacterial etiology (RDpossible, -8.7 [95% CI, -13.0 to -4.4]) but not in other children (RDunlikely, -0.3% [95% CI, -2.9% to 2.3%]). A similar association was observed for 90-day hospitalization or death (RDlikely, -3.1 [95% CI, -5.3 to -1.0]; RDpossible, -2.3 [95% CI, -4.5 to -.01]; RDunlikely, -0.6 [95% CI, -1.9 to .6]). The magnitude of risk differences was similar among specific likely bacterial etiologies, including Shigella. CONCLUSIONS Acute watery diarrhea confirmed or presumed to be of bacterial etiology may benefit from azithromycin treatment. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT03130114.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia B Pavlinac
- Department of Global Health
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James A Platts-Mills
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | | | - Jean Gratz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Darwin Operario
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | | | | | - Tahmeed Ahmed
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tahmina Alam
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Per Ashorn
- Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Henry Badji
- Centre pour le Développement des Vaccines, Bamako, Mali
| | - Rajiv Bahl
- Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Aging, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Naor Bar-Zeev
- International Vaccine Access Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mohammod Jobayer Chisti
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jen Cornick
- Clinical Research Programme, Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Ayesha De Costa
- Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Aging, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Saikat Deb
- Center for Public Health Kinetics, New Delhi, India
| | - Usha Dhingra
- Center for Public Health Kinetics, New Delhi, India
| | - Queen Dube
- Department of Pediatrics, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Christopher P Duggan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bridget Freyne
- Clinical Research Programme, Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust, Blantyre, Malawi
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Wilson Gumbi
- Kenya Medical Research Institute–Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Aneeta Hotwani
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Mamun Kabir
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ohedul Islam
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Furqan Kabir
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Irene Kasumba
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Upendo Kibwana
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Karen L Kotloff
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shaila S Khan
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Victor Maiden
- Clinical Research Programme, Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Karim Manji
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Ashka Mehta
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Latif Ndeketa
- Clinical Research Programme, Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Ira Praharaj
- Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Farah Naz Qamar
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Jonathon Simon
- Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Aging, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benson O Singa
- Center for Clinical Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sarah Somji
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Samba O Sow
- Centre pour le Développement des Vaccines, Bamako, Mali
| | - Milagritos D Tapia
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Caroline Tigoi
- Kenya Medical Research Institute–Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Aliou Toure
- Centre pour le Développement des Vaccines, Bamako, Mali
| | - Judd L Walson
- Department of Global Health
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | | | - Eric R Houpt
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Nisar M, Kerai S, Shahid S, Qazi M, Rehman S, Aziz F, Jehan F. Predictors of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Influenza Virus, and Human Metapneumovirus Carriage in Children Under 5 Years With WHO-Defined Fast-Breathing Pneumonia in Pakistan. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2024; 18:e13285. [PMID: 38616564 PMCID: PMC11016811 DOI: 10.1111/irv.13285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pneumonia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children < 5 years. We describe nasopharyngeal carriage of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), and influenza virus among children with fast-breathing pneumonia in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional analysis of nasopharyngeal swabs from children aged 2-59 months with fast-breathing pneumonia, enrolled in the randomized trial of amoxicillin versus placebo for fast-breathing pneumonia (RETAPP) (NCT02372461) from 2014 to 2016. Swabs were collected using WHO standardized methods, processed at the Aga Khan University, Pakistan. Viral detection was performed using LUMINEX xTAG respiratory viral panel assay and logistic regression identified clinical and sociodemographic predictors. FINDINGS Of the 1000 children tested, 92.2% (n = 922) were positive for viral carriage. RSV, hMPV, and influenza virus were detected in 59 (6.4%), 56 (6.1%), and 58 (6.3%) children and co-infections in three samples (two RSV-hMPV and one influenza-hMPV). RSV carriage was common in infants (56%), we observed a higher occurrence of fever in children with hMPV and influenza virus (80% and 88%, respectively) and fast breathing in RSV (80%) carriage. RSV carriage was positively associated with a history of fast/difficulty breathing (aOR: 1.96, 95% CI 1.02-3.76) and low oxygen saturation (aOR: 2.52, 95% CI 1.32-4.82), hMPV carriage was positively associated with a complete vaccination status (aOR: 2.22, 95% CI 1.23-4.00) and body temperature ≥ 37.5°C (aOR: 2.34, 95% CI 1.35-4.04) whereas influenza viral carriage was associated with body temperature ≥ 37.5°C (aOR: 4.48, 95% CI 2.53-7.93). CONCLUSION We observed a high nasopharyngeal viral carriage among children with WHO-defined fast-breathing pneumonia in Pakistan. Fever, difficulty in breathing, hypoxia and vaccination status are important clinical predictors for viral nonsevere community-acquired pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Salima Kerai
- School of Population and Public HealthUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Shahira Shahid
- Department of Pediatrics and Child HealthAga Khan UniversityKarachiPakistan
| | | | - Sarah Rehman
- Department of Pediatrics and Child HealthAga Khan UniversityKarachiPakistan
| | - Fatima Aziz
- Department of Pediatrics and Child HealthAga Khan UniversityKarachiPakistan
| | - Fyezah Jehan
- Department of Pediatrics and Child HealthAga Khan UniversityKarachiPakistan
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Wilkins H, Hobart-Porter N, Eastin C. What is the Optimal Treatment Duration for Outpatient Pediatric Community-Acquired Pneumonia? Ann Emerg Med 2024; 83:214-216. [PMID: 37855789 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2023.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Wilkins
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
| | - Nicholas Hobart-Porter
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
| | - Carly Eastin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
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Yun KW. Community-acquired pneumonia in children: updated perspectives on its etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Clin Exp Pediatr 2024; 67:80-89. [PMID: 37321577 PMCID: PMC10839192 DOI: 10.3345/cep.2022.01452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumonia is a common pediatric infectious disease that is familiar to pediatricians and a major cause of hospitalization worldwide. Recent well-designed epidemiologic studies in developed countries indicated that respiratory viruses are detected in 30%-70%, atypical bacteria in 7%-17%, and pyogenic bacteria in 2%-8% of children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The etiological distribution of CAP varies widely by child age and the epidemiological season of the respiratory pathogen. Moreover, diagnostic tests, particularly for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, the 2 major bacterial pathogens involved in pediatric CAP, have several limitations. Therefore, management and empirical antimicrobial therapy for children with CAP should be applied in a stepwise manner based on recent epidemiological, etiological, and microbiological evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Wook Yun
- Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Szymczak JE, Hayes AA, Labellarte P, Zighelboim J, Toor A, Becker AB, Gerber JS, Kuppermann N, Florin TA. Parent and Clinician Views on Not Using Antibiotics for Mild Community-Acquired Pneumonia. Pediatrics 2024; 153:e2023063782. [PMID: 38234215 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-063782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Preschool-aged children with mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) routinely receive antibiotics even though most infections are viral. We sought to identify barriers to the implementation of a "no antibiotic" strategy for mild CAP in young children. METHODS Qualitative study using semistructured interviews conducted in a large pediatric hospital in the United States from January 2021 to July 2021. Parents of young children diagnosed with mild CAP in the previous 3 years and clinicians practicing in outpatient settings (pediatric emergency department, community emergency department, general pediatrics offices) were included. RESULTS Interviews were conducted with 38 respondents (18 parents, 20 clinicians). No parent heard of the no antibiotic strategy, and parents varied in their support for the approach. Degree of support related to their desire to avoid unnecessary medications, trust in clinicians, the emotional difficulty of caring for a sick child, desire for relief of suffering, willingness to accept the risk of unnecessary antibiotics, and judgment about the child's illness severity. Eleven (55%) clinicians were familiar with guidelines specifying a no antibiotic strategy. They identified challenges in not using antibiotics, including diagnostic uncertainty, consequences of undertreatment, parental expectations, follow-up concerns, and acceptance of the risks of unnecessary antibiotic treatment of many children if it means avoiding adverse outcomes for some children. CONCLUSIONS Although both parents and clinicians expressed broad support for the judicious use of antibiotics, pneumonia presents stewardship challenges. Interventions will need to consider the emotional, social, and logistical aspects of managing pneumonia, in addition to developing techniques to improve diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E Szymczak
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Ashley A Hayes
- Smith Child Health Catalyst, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Patricia Labellarte
- Smith Child Health Catalyst, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Julian Zighelboim
- Smith Child Health Catalyst, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Amandeep Toor
- Smith Child Health Catalyst, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Adam B Becker
- Smith Child Health Catalyst, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jeffrey S Gerber
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nathan Kuppermann
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Todd A Florin
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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Dharmapalan D, Bielicki J, Sharland M. Harmonization of Amoxicillin Dose, Duration, and Formulation for Acute Childhood Respiratory Infections. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1138. [PMID: 37508234 PMCID: PMC10376083 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12071138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pediatric guidelines vary in their recommended amoxicillin dosing for common respiratory infections. It would help program delivery if there was harmonization of dosing and formulation of amoxicillin across multiple clinical respiratory infections, considering the pharmacokinetics, common targets, drug resistance, availability, cost effectiveness, and ease of administration. The World Health Organization EML AWaRe Book recommends higher dose amoxicillin given twice daily for five days for all uncomplicated respiratory infections where an antibiotic is indicated. The WHO AWaRe Book amoxicillin dosing guidance can be achieved for infants and older children using only scored 250 mg and 500 mg dispersible tablets (DTs), the WHO recommended child formulation. There is a clear need for wider availability of 250 mg/500 mg dispersible tablets of amoxicillin in both public and private health care sectors, to improve access to essential antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanya Dharmapalan
- Consultant in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai 400614, India
| | - Julia Bielicki
- Centre for Neonatal and Paediatric Infection, Institute of Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK; (J.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Mike Sharland
- Centre for Neonatal and Paediatric Infection, Institute of Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK; (J.B.); (M.S.)
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Little P, Francis NA, Stuart B, O'Reilly G, Thompson N, Becque T, Hay AD, Wang K, Sharland M, Harnden A, Yao G, Raftery J, Zhu S, Little J, Hookham C, Rowley K, Euden J, Harman K, Coenen S, Read RC, Woods C, Butler CC, Faust SN, Leydon G, Wan M, Hood K, Whitehurst J, Richards-Hall S, Smith P, Thomas M, Moore M, Verheij T. Antibiotics for lower respiratory tract infection in children presenting in primary care: ARTIC-PC RCT. Health Technol Assess 2023; 27:1-90. [PMID: 37436003 DOI: 10.3310/dgbv3199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for children with uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections, but there is little randomised evidence to support the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating these infections, either overall or relating to key clinical subgroups in which antibiotic prescribing is common (chest signs; fever; physician rating of unwell; sputum/rattly chest; shortness of breath). Objectives To estimate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of amoxicillin for uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections in children both overall and in clinical subgroups. Design Placebo-controlled trial with qualitative, observational and cost-effectiveness studies. Setting UK general practices. Participants Children aged 1-12 years with acute uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections. Outcomes The primary outcome was the duration in days of symptoms rated moderately bad or worse (measured using a validated diary). Secondary outcomes were symptom severity on days 2-4 (0 = no problem to 6 = as bad as it could be); symptom duration until very little/no problem; reconsultations for new or worsening symptoms; complications; side effects; and resource use. Methods Children were randomised to receive 50 mg/kg/day of oral amoxicillin in divided doses for 7 days, or placebo using pre-prepared packs, using computer-generated random numbers by an independent statistician. Children who were not randomised could participate in a parallel observational study. Semistructured telephone interviews explored the views of 16 parents and 14 clinicians, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. Throat swabs were analysed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Results A total of 432 children were randomised (antibiotics, n = 221; placebo, n = 211). The primary analysis imputed missing data for 115 children. The duration of moderately bad symptoms was similar in the antibiotic and placebo groups overall (median of 5 and 6 days, respectively; hazard ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 1.42), with similar results for subgroups, and when including antibiotic prescription data from the 326 children in the observational study. Reconsultations for new or worsening symptoms (29.7% and 38.2%, respectively; risk ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.58 to 1.05), illness progression requiring hospital assessment or admission (2.4% vs. 2.0%) and side effects (38% vs. 34%) were similar in the two groups. Complete-case (n = 317) and per-protocol (n = 185) analyses were similar, and the presence of bacteria did not mediate antibiotic effectiveness. NHS costs per child were slightly higher (antibiotics, £29; placebo, £26), with no difference in non-NHS costs (antibiotics, £33; placebo, £33). A model predicting complications (with seven variables: baseline severity, difference in respiratory rate from normal for age, duration of prior illness, oxygen saturation, sputum/rattly chest, passing urine less often, and diarrhoea) had good discrimination (bootstrapped area under the receiver operator curve 0.83) and calibration. Parents found it difficult to interpret symptoms and signs, used the sounds of the child's cough to judge the severity of illness, and commonly consulted to receive a clinical examination and reassurance. Parents acknowledged that antibiotics should be used only when 'necessary', and clinicians noted a reduction in parents' expectations for antibiotics. Limitations The study was underpowered to detect small benefits in key subgroups. Conclusion Amoxicillin for uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections in children is unlikely to be clinically effective or to reduce health or societal costs. Parents need better access to information, as well as clear communication about the self-management of their child's illness and safety-netting. Future work The data can be incorporated in the Cochrane review and individual patient data meta-analysis. Trial registration This trial is registered as ISRCTN79914298. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 27, No. 9. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Little
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Nick A Francis
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Beth Stuart
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Gilly O'Reilly
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Natalie Thompson
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Taeko Becque
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Alastair D Hay
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kay Wang
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael Sharland
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University, London, UK
| | - Anthony Harnden
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Guiqing Yao
- Biostatistics Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - James Raftery
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Shihua Zhu
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Joseph Little
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Charlotte Hookham
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Kate Rowley
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Joanne Euden
- Centre for Trials Research, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kim Harman
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Samuel Coenen
- Department of Family Medicine & Population Health and Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Robert C Read
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton Clinical Research Facility and Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Catherine Woods
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Christopher C Butler
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Saul N Faust
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton Clinical Research Facility and Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Geraldine Leydon
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Mandy Wan
- Evelina Pharmacy, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Kerenza Hood
- Centre for Trials Research, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jane Whitehurst
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands, Coventry, UK
| | - Samantha Richards-Hall
- Southampton Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Peter Smith
- Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Michael Thomas
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Michael Moore
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Theo Verheij
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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10
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Florin TA, Melnikow J, Gosdin M, Ciuffetelli R, Benedetti J, Ballard D, Gausche-Hill M, Kronman MP, Martin LA, Mistry RD, Neuman MI, Palazzi DL, Patel SJ, Self WH, Shah SS, Shah SN, Sirota S, Cruz AT, Ruddy R, Gerber JS, Kuppermann N. Developing Consensus on Clinical Outcomes for Children with Mild Pneumonia: A Delphi Study. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2023; 12:83-88. [PMID: 36625856 PMCID: PMC9969329 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piac123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The absence of consensus for outcomes in pediatric antibiotic trials is a major barrier to research harmonization and clinical translation. We sought to develop expert consensus on study outcomes for clinical trials of children with mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS Applying the Delphi method, a multispecialty expert panel ranked the importance of various components of clinical response and treatment failure outcomes in children with mild CAP for use in research. During Round 1, panelists suggested additional outcomes in open-ended responses that were added to subsequent rounds of consensus building. For Rounds 2 and 3, panelists were provided their own prior responses and summary statistics for each item in the previous round. The consensus was defined by >70% agreement. RESULTS The expert panel determined that response to and failure of treatment should be addressed at a median of 3 days after initiation. Complete or substantial improvement in fever, work of breathing, dyspnea, tachypnea when afebrile, oral intake, and activity should be included as components of adequate clinical response outcomes. Clinical signs and symptoms including persistent or worsening fever, work of breathing, and reduced oral intake should be included in treatment failure outcomes. Interventions including receipt of parenteral fluids, supplemental oxygen, need for high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, and change in prescription of antibiotics should also be considered in treatment failure outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Clinical response and treatment failure outcomes determined by the consensus of this multidisciplinary expert panel can be used for pediatric CAP studies to provide objective data translatable to clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd A Florin
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago & Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joy Melnikow
- Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Melissa Gosdin
- Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Ryan Ciuffetelli
- Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Jillian Benedetti
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago & Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dustin Ballard
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Marianne Gausche-Hill
- Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency; Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Matthew P Kronman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lisa A Martin
- Pediatric Health Associates, Naperville, Illinois, USA
| | - Rakesh D Mistry
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Mark I Neuman
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Debra L Palazzi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sameer J Patel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Wesley H Self
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Samir S Shah
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Sonal N Shah
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Susan Sirota
- Division of Community Based General Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrea T Cruz
- Divisions of Emergency Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard Ruddy
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Gerber
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Division of Infectious Diseases, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nathan Kuppermann
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
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11
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Walker PJB, Wilkes C, Duke T, Graham HR. Can child pneumonia in low-resource settings be treated without antibiotics? A systematic review & meta-analysis. J Glob Health 2022; 12:10007. [DOI: 10.7189/jogh.12.10007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick JB Walker
- Centre for International Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Chris Wilkes
- Centre for International Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Trevor Duke
- Centre for International Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hamish R Graham
- Centre for International Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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12
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Lim R, Chaummanivong M, Taikeophithoun C, Gray A, Jenney AWJ, Sychareun V, Nguyen C, Russell F. Higher childhood pneumonia admission threshold remains in Lao PDR: an observational study. Arch Dis Child 2022; 107:872-877. [PMID: 35584907 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2021-323626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines changed pneumonia hospitalisation criteria in 2014, which was implemented in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) in 2015. We determined adherence to: current (2014) IMCI guidelines for children presenting to hospitals with pneumonia, current outpatient management guidelines and identified hospitalisation predictors. DESIGN Prospective observational study (January 2017 to December 2018). SETTING Outpatient and emergency departments of four hospitals in Vientiane, Lao PDR. PATIENTS 594 children aged 2-59 months diagnosed with pneumonia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Number of children diagnosed, hospitalised, managed, administered preventive measures and followed-up accordant with current guidelines. RESULTS Non-severe and severe pneumonia were correctly diagnosed in 97% and 43% of children, respectively. Non-severe pneumonia with lower chest wall indrawing (LCI) was diagnosed as severe in 15%. Hospitalisation rates were: 80% for severe pneumonia, 86% and 3% for non-severe pneumonia with and without LCI, respectively. Outpatient oral antibiotic prescribing was high (99%), but only 30% were prescribed both the recommended antibiotic and duration. Appropriate planned follow-up was 89%. Hospitalisation predictors included age 2-5 months (compared with 24-59 months; OR 3.95, 95% CI 1.90 to 8.24), public transport to hospital (compared with private vehicle; OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.09 to 6.24) and households without piped drinking water (OR 4.67, 95% CI 2.75 to 7.95). CONCLUSIONS Hospitalisation practice for childhood pneumonia in Lao PDR remains more closely aligned with the 2005 WHO IMCI guidelines than the currently implemented 2014 iteration. Compliance with current outpatient antibiotic prescribing guidelines was low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Lim
- Asia-Pacific Health Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Molina Chaummanivong
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Vientiane Capital, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Chansathit Taikeophithoun
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Vientiane Capital, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Amy Gray
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of General Medicine, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adam W J Jenney
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vanphanom Sychareun
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Vientiane Capital, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Cattram Nguyen
- Asia-Pacific Health Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Fiona Russell
- Asia-Pacific Health Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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13
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Extended Versus Standard Antibiotic Course Duration in Children <5 Years of Age Hospitalized With Community-acquired Pneumonia in High-risk Settings: Four-week Outcomes of a Multicenter, Double-blind, Parallel, Superiority Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2022; 41:549-555. [PMID: 35476706 DOI: 10.1097/inf.0000000000003558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-level evidence is limited for antibiotic duration in children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) from First Nations and other at-risk populations of chronic respiratory disorders. As part of a larger study, we determined whether an extended antibiotic course is superior to a standard course for achieving clinical cure at 4 weeks in children 3 months to ≤5 years old hospitalized with CAP. METHODS In our multinational (Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia), double-blind, superiority randomized controlled trial, children hospitalized with uncomplicated, radiographic-confirmed, CAP received 1-3 days of intravenous antibiotics followed by 3 days of oral amoxicillin-clavulanate (80 mg/kg, amoxicillin component, divided twice daily) and then randomized to extended (13-14 days duration) or standard (5-6 days) antibiotics. The primary outcome was clinical cure (complete resolution of respiratory symptoms/signs) 4 weeks postenrollment. Secondary outcomes included adverse events, nasopharyngeal bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance at 4 weeks. RESULTS Of 372 children enrolled, 324 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were randomized. Using intention-to-treat analysis, between-group clinical cure rates were similar (extended course: n = 127/163, 77.9%; standard course: n = 131/161, 81.3%; relative risk = 0.96, 95% confidence interval = 0.86-1.07). There were no significant between-group differences for adverse events (extended course: n = 43/163, 26.4%; standard course, n = 32/161, 19.9%) or nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Staphylococcus aureus or antimicrobial resistance. CONCLUSIONS Among children hospitalized with pneumonia and at-risk of chronic respiratory illnesses, an extended antibiotic course was not superior to a standard course at achieving clinical cure at 4 weeks. Additional research will identify if an extended course provides longer-term benefits.
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14
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Neill R, Gillespie D, Ahmed H. Variation in Antibiotic Treatment Failure Outcome Definitions in Randomised Trials and Observational Studies of Antibiotic Prescribing Strategies: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:627. [PMID: 35625271 PMCID: PMC9137992 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic treatment failure is used as an outcome in randomised trials and observational studies of antibiotic treatment strategies and may comprise different events that indicate failure to achieve a desired clinical response. However, the lack of a universally recognised definition has led to considerable variation in the types of events included. We undertook a systematic review of published studies investigating antibiotic treatment strategies for common uncomplicated infections, aiming to describe variation in terminology and components of the antibiotic treatment failure outcomes. We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Clinical trials for English language studies published between January 2010 and January 2021. The population of interest was ambulatory patients seen in primary care or outpatient settings with respiratory tract (RTI), urinary tract (UTI), or skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI), where different antibiotic prescribing strategies were compared, and the outcome was antibiotic treatment failure. We narratively summarised key features from eligible studies and used frequencies and proportions to describe terminology, components, and time periods used to ascertain antibiotic treatment failure outcomes. Database searches identified 2967 unique records, from which 36 studies met our inclusion criteria. This included 10 randomised controlled trials and 26 observational studies, with 20 studies of RTI, 12 of UTI, 4 of SSTI, and 2 of both RTI and SSTI. We identified three key components of treatment failure definitions: prescription changes, escalation of care, and change in clinical condition. Prescription changes were most popular in studies of UTI, while changes in clinical condition were most common in RTI and SSTI studies. We found substantial variation in the definition of antibiotic treatment failure in included studies, even amongst studies of the same infection subtype and study design. Considerable further work is needed to develop a standardised definition of antibiotic treatment failure in partnership with patients, clinicians, and relevant stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Neill
- Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4YS, UK;
| | - David Gillespie
- Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4YS, UK;
| | - Haroon Ahmed
- Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4YS, UK;
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15
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King C, Baker K, Richardson S, Wharton-Smith A, Bakare AA, Jehan F, Chisti MJ, Zar H, Awasthi S, Smith H, Greenslade L, Qazi SA. Paediatric pneumonia research priorities in the context of COVID-19: An eDelphi study. J Glob Health 2022; 12:09001. [PMID: 35265333 PMCID: PMC8874896 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.12.09001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pneumonia remains the leading cause of infectious deaths in children under-five globally. We update the research priorities for childhood pneumonia in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and explore whether previous priorities have been addressed. Methods We conducted an eDelphi study from November 2019 to June 2021. Experts were invited to take part, targeting balance by: gender, profession, and high (HIC) and low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). We followed a three-stage approach: 1. Collating questions, using a list published in 2011 and adding newly posed topics; 2. Narrowing down, through participant scoring on importance and whether they had been answered; 3. Ranking of retained topics. Topics were categorized into: prevent and protect, diagnosis, treatment and cross-cutting. Results Overall 379 experts were identified, and 108 took part. We started with 83 topics, and 81 further general and 40 COVID-19 specific topics were proposed. In the final ranking 101 topics were retained, and the highest ranked was to “explore interventions to prevent neonatal pneumonia”. Among the top 20 topics, epidemiological research and intervention evaluation was commonly prioritized, followed by the operational and implementation research. Two COVID-19 related questions were ranked within the top 20. There were clear differences in priorities between HIC and LMIC respondents, and academics vs non-academics. Conclusions Operational research on health system capacities, and evaluating optimized delivery of existing treatments, diagnostics and case management approaches are needed. This list should act as a catalyst for collaborative research, especially to meet the top priority in preventing neonatal pneumonia, and encourage multi-disciplinary partnerships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina King
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kevin Baker
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Malaria Consortium, London, UK
| | | | | | - Ayobami A Bakare
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Community Medicine, University College Hospital Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Fyezah Jehan
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Mohammod Jobayer Chisti
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Heather Zar
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health and SA-MRC Unit on Child & Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shally Awasthi
- Department of Paediatrics, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, India
| | - Helen Smith
- Malaria Consortium, London, UK
- Consultant, International Health Consulting Services Ltd, UK
| | | | - Shamim A Qazi
- Consultant, Retired staff World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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16
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The Effects of Park Based Interventions on Health: The Italian Project "Moving Parks". INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19042130. [PMID: 35206319 PMCID: PMC8872154 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Obesity and physical inactivity are global health problems responsible for the risk increment of noncommunicable diseases. To overcome these problems, interventions aimed at increasing physical activity (PA) are necessary. Green space can have a positive influence on promoting PA, so, the aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of the project “The moving parks project”, which provides for the administration of PA to citizens within Bologna’s parks (Italy). An ad hoc questionnaire was administered before and after three months of outdoor PA. A total of 329 adult subjects participated in the survey. At follow-up, all psychosocial parameters showed an improvement, with a reduction in the state of tension, sadness and fatigue, and an improvement in the state of energy, serenity, and vitality. The impact of the interventions carried out in the “Moving Parks project” was positive and appears to be a good strategy for improving health outcomes.
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17
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Covino M, Buonsenso D, Gatto A, Morello R, Curatole A, Simeoni B, Franceschi F, Chiaretti A. Determinants of antibiotic prescriptions in a large cohort of children discharged from a pediatric emergency department. Eur J Pediatr 2022; 181:2017-2030. [PMID: 35118518 PMCID: PMC8813572 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-022-04386-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
While there is evidence of high use of wide-spectrum antibiotics in children evaluated in the pediatric emergency departments, determinants of this behavior are still unclear. This study was aimed at defining the demographic, social, clinical, and laboratory factors that affect antibiotic prescriptions in children discharged from the emergency department. We performed a retrospective observational study of children aged younger than 18 years discharged from a pediatric university hospital between Jan. 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2020. We determined the proportion and type of antibiotic prescription according to demographic, social, clinical, laboratory, and imaging data, as well as doctor's expertise. Fifty-one thousand six hundred thirty-three children were included, and 13,167 (25.5%) received an antibiotic prescription. Amoxicilline/clavulanate (Am/Cl) was the most prescribed antibiotic (8453, 64.2% of all prescriptions). Factors independently associated with an antibiotic prescription were older age (OR = 1.62 [1.53-1.73] for age 2-5 years, OR = 1.77 [1.64-1.91] for age 6-10 years, OR = 1.36 [1.25-1.49] for age 11-18 years, p < 0.001 for all groups); being evaluated by a physician with > 3 years of pediatric expertise (OR = 1.22 [1.13-1.31], p < 0.001); fever peak higher than 40 °C (OR = 1.37 [1.21-1.54], p < 0.001); abnormal findings on auscultation (OR = 1.95 [1.75-2.17], p < 0.001), CRP values (OR = 1.63 [1.26-2.10] for CRP < 50 mg/L, and OR = 3.78 (2.75-5.21) for CRP ≥ 50 mg/L with respect to CRP not requested; p < 0.01); CXR results whatever positive (OR = 4.47 [3.62-5.52], p < 0.001) or negative (1.82 [1.62-2.04], p < 0.001); being diagnosed with upper respiratory tract infections (OR = 4.27 [4.04-4.51], p < 0.001), lower respiratory tract infections (OR = 5.35 [4.88-5.85]; p < 0.001), and UTI (OR = 9.33 [8.14-10.71], p < 0.001). Conclusions: Overprescription of antibiotics, including Am/Cl, is relevant in pediatric emergency departments. Factors associated with overprescription are not limited to the clinical characteristics of the treated patients. These findings highlight the need for a new and comprehensive approach to ensure successful antibiotic stewardship initiatives in the emergency departments. What is Known: • Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in medical practice, including in pediatrics. • Antibiotics are overprescribed in children assessed in the emergency department, but comprehensive and large studies are lacking. What is New: • Factors associated with overprescription are not limited to the clinical characteristics of the patients. • Non-clinical factors such as environmental variables, doctor's expertise, and attitudes to laboratory and radiological examinations affect prescription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Covino
- Emergency Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Danilo Buonsenso
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Di Laboratorio E Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. 8 Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario 10 A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Global Health Research Institute, Istituto Di Igiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Gatto
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Di Laboratorio E Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. 8 Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Morello
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Di Laboratorio E Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. 8 Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonietta Curatole
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Di Laboratorio E Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. 8 Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Simeoni
- Emergency Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Franceschi
- Emergency Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Chiaretti
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Di Laboratorio E Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. 8 Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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18
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Buonsenso D, De Rose C. Implementation of lung ultrasound in low- to middle-income countries: a new challenge global health? Eur J Pediatr 2022; 181:1-8. [PMID: 34216270 PMCID: PMC8254441 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-021-04179-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Pneumonia remains the leading cause of death globally in children under the age of five. The poorest children are the ones most at risk of dying. In the recent years, lung ultrasound has been widely documented as a safe and easy tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of pneumonia and several other respiratory infections and diseases. During the pandemic, it played a primary role to achieve early suspicion and prediction of severe COVID-19, reducing the risk of exposure of healthcare workers to positive patients. However, innovations that can improve diagnosis and treatment allocation, saving hundreds of thousands of lives each year, are not reaching those who need them most. In this paper, we discuss advantages and limits of different tools for the diagnosis of pneumonia in low- to middle-income countries, highlighting potential benefits of a wider access to lung ultrasound in these settings and barriers to its implementation, calling international organizations to ensure the indiscriminate access, quality, and sustainability of the provision of ultrasound services in every setting. What is Known: • Pneumonia remains the leading cause of death globally in children under the age of five. The poorest children are the ones most at risk of dying. In the recent years, lung ultrasound has been widely documented as a safe and easy tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of pneumonia and several other respiratory infections and diseases. During the pandemic, it played a primary role to achieve early suspicion and prediction of severe COVID-19, reducing the risk of exposure of healthcare workers to positive patients. However, innovations that can improve diagnosis and treatment allocation, saving hundreds of thousands of lives each year, are not reaching those who need them most. What is New: • We discuss advantages and limits of different tools for the diagnosis of pneumonia in low- to middle-income countries, highlighting potential benefits of a wider access to lung ultrasound in these settings and barriers to its implementation, calling international organizations to ensure the indiscriminate access, quality, and sustainability of the provision of ultrasound services in every setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Buonsenso
- Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy.
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Biotecnologiche Di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche E Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
- Global Health Research Institute, Istituto Di Igiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
| | - Cristina De Rose
- Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
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19
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Korppi M. Antibiotic therapy in children with community-acquired pneumonia. Acta Paediatr 2021; 110:3246-3250. [PMID: 34265116 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PubMed was reviewed on antibiotic treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children for the years 2011-2020, and three clinical trials in high-income and eight in low-income countries were found. Prospective studies combining laboratory and clinical findings for steering of antibiotic treatment found that five-day courses were equally effective as longer courses. No new antibiotics were launched for children's CAP during the last 10 years. Five-day courses are equally effective as 7- to 10-day courses for CAP in children. Stewardship of antibiotics needs lessening of exposure to antibiotics by better targeting their use and by shortening the lengths of antibiotic courses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matti Korppi
- Centre for Child Health Research Faculty of medicine and health technology University of Tampere and University Hospital Tampere Finland
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20
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Little P, Francis NA, Stuart B, O'Reilly G, Thompson N, Becque T, Hay AD, Wang K, Sharland M, Harnden A, Yao G, Raftery J, Zhu S, Little J, Hookham C, Rowley K, Euden J, Harman K, Coenen S, Read RC, Woods C, Butler CC, Faust SN, Leydon G, Wan M, Hood K, Whitehurst J, Richards-Hall S, Smith P, Thomas M, Moore M, Verheij T. Antibiotics for lower respiratory tract infection in children presenting in primary care in England (ARTIC PC): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2021; 398:1417-1426. [PMID: 34562391 PMCID: PMC8542731 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(21)01431-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibiotic resistance is a global public health threat. Antibiotics are very commonly prescribed for children presenting with uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), but there is little evidence from randomised controlled trials of the effectiveness of antibiotics, both overall or among key clinical subgroups. In ARTIC PC, we assessed whether amoxicillin reduces the duration of moderately bad symptoms in children presenting with uncomplicated (non-pneumonic) LRTI in primary care, overall and in key clinical subgroups. METHODS ARTIC PC was a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial done at 56 general practices in England. Eligible children were those aged 6 months to 12 years presenting in primary care with acute uncomplicated LRTI judged to be infective in origin, where pneumonia was not suspected clinically, with symptoms for less than 21 days. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive amoxicillin 50 mg/kg per day or placebo oral suspension, in three divided doses orally for 7 days. Patients and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. The primary outcome was the duration of symptoms rated moderately bad or worse (measured using a validated diary) for up to 28 days or until symptoms resolved. The primary outcome and safety were assessed in the intention-to-treat population. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN Registry (ISRCTN79914298). FINDINGS Between Nov 9, 2016, and March 17, 2020, 432 children (not including six who withdrew permission for use of their data after randomisation) were randomly assigned to the antibiotics group (n=221) or the placebo group (n=211). Complete data for symptom duration were available for 317 (73%) patients; missing data were imputed for the primary analysis. Median durations of moderately bad or worse symptoms were similar between the groups (5 days [IQR 4-11] in the antibiotics group vs 6 days [4-15] in the placebo group; hazard ratio [HR] 1·13 [95% CI 0·90-1·42]). No differences were seen for the primary outcome between the treatment groups in the five prespecified clinical subgroups (patients with chest signs, fever, physician rating of unwell, sputum or chest rattle, and short of breath). Estimates from complete-case analysis and a per-protocol analysis were similar to the imputed data analysis. INTERPRETATION Amoxicillin for uncomplicated chest infections in children is unlikely to be clinically effective either overall or for key subgroups in whom antibiotics are commonly prescribed. Unless pneumonia is suspected, clinicians should provide safety-netting advice but not prescribe antibiotics for most children presenting with chest infections. FUNDING National Institute for Health Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Little
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
| | - Nick A Francis
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Beth Stuart
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Gilly O'Reilly
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Natalie Thompson
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Taeko Becque
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Alastair D Hay
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kay Wang
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael Sharland
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University London, London, UK
| | - Anthony Harnden
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Guiqing Yao
- Biostatistics Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - James Raftery
- Health Economics Analysis Team, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Shihua Zhu
- Health Economics Analysis Team, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Joseph Little
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Charlotte Hookham
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Kate Rowley
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Joanne Euden
- Centre for Trials Research, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kim Harman
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Samuel Coenen
- Department of Family Medicine and Population Health and Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Robert C Read
- Faculty of Medicine and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; National Institute of Health Research Southampton Clinical Research Facility and Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Catherine Woods
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Christopher C Butler
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Saul N Faust
- Faculty of Medicine and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; National Institute of Health Research Southampton Clinical Research Facility and Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Geraldine Leydon
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Mandy Wan
- Evelina Pharmacy, Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Kerenza Hood
- Centre for Trials Research, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Samantha Richards-Hall
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Peter Smith
- Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Michael Thomas
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Michael Moore
- Primary Care Research Centre, Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Theo Verheij
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
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21
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Khan FU, Fang Y. Effectiveness of Pharmacist-Led Brief Educational Intervention for Adherence to the Antibiotics for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (EATSA) in Post-Conflict Rural Areas of Pakistan: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10101147. [PMID: 34680728 PMCID: PMC8532944 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10101147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, lower respiratory infections (LRTIs) are one of the most common infectious diseases whichaffect majority of the population and as a result of inappropriate antibiotics practices lead to antibiotic resistance (AR). An individual randomized control trial will be conducted in the post-conflict areas of Swat, Pakistan, through a random sampling method. Patients aged > 18 years will be recruited from five community pharmacies and assigned to equally sized groups to receive either pharmacist-led education interventions or usual care with no intervention. A total of 400 (control = 200, study = 200) patients will be included, with prescriptions comprised of antibiotics for LRTIs. The outcomes measured in both groups will be a combination of treatment cure rate and adherence, which will be assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and pill count. The trial comprises pharmacist-led educational interventions to improve treatment outcomes for patients with LRTIs. This study might establish the groundwork for pharmaceutical care of LRTIs patients with antibacterial therapy and the future delivery of a care strategy for the improvement of LRTIs treatment outcomes in post-conflict, remote areas of the third world and LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiz Ullah Khan
- Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China;
- Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
- Shaanxi Center for Health Reform and Development Research, Xi’an 710061, China
- Research Institute for Drug Safety and Monitoring, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Western China Science & Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi’an 710061, China
| | - Yu Fang
- Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China;
- Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
- Shaanxi Center for Health Reform and Development Research, Xi’an 710061, China
- Research Institute for Drug Safety and Monitoring, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Western China Science & Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi’an 710061, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-185-9197-0591; Fax: +86-29-8265-5424
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22
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Role of lung ultrasound for the etiological diagnosis of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) in children: a prospective study. J Ultrasound 2021; 25:185-197. [PMID: 34146336 PMCID: PMC8213536 DOI: 10.1007/s40477-021-00600-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective and design Our prospective study assesses the role of detailed lung ultrasound (LUS) features to discriminate the etiological diagnosis of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) in children. Methodology We analyzed patients aged from 1 month to 17 years admitted between March 2018 and April 2020 who were hospitalized for ALRTI. For all patients, history, clinical parameters, microbiological data, and lung ultrasound data were collected. Patients were stratified into three main groups (“bacterial”, “viral”, “atypical”) according to the presumed microbial etiology and LUS findings evaluated according to the etiological group. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from all patients. A qualitative diagnostic test developed by Nurex S.r.l. was used for identification of bacterial and fungal DNA in respiratory samples. The Seegene Allplex™ Respiratory assays were used for the molecular diagnosis of viral respiratory pathogens. In addition, bacterial culture of blood and respiratory samples were performed, when indicated. Results A total of 186 children with suspected ALRTI (44% female) with an average age of 6 were enrolled in the study. We found that some ultrasound findings as size, number and distribution of consolidations, the position and motion of air bronchograms, pleural effusions and distribution of vertical artifacts significantly differ (p < 0.05) in children with bacterial, viral and atypical ALRTI. Conclusion Our study provides a detailed analysis of LUS features able to predict the ALRTI ethology in children. These findings may help the physicians to better manage a child with ALRTI and to offer personalized approach, from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up.
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23
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Sié A, Ouattara M, Bountogo M, Dah C, Compaoré G, Boudo V, Lebas E, Brogdon J, Nyatigo F, Arnold BF, Lietman TM, Oldenburg CE. Indication for antibiotic prescription among children attending primary healthcare services in rural Burkina Faso. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 73:1288-1291. [PMID: 34018004 PMCID: PMC8492132 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated diagnoses leading to antibiotic use for children <5 years in 48 government-run primary health facilities in Nouna District, Burkina Faso. Among 61,355 visits, 30,975 received an antibiotic (58% pneumonia). Diagnoses not requiring an antibiotic, including malaria, non-bloody diarrhea, and cough without pneumonia, contributed a minority of antibiotic prescriptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Sié
- Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso
| | | | | | - Clarisse Dah
- Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Valentin Boudo
- Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso
| | - Elodie Lebas
- Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Jessica Brogdon
- Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Fanice Nyatigo
- Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Benjamin F Arnold
- Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Thomas M Lietman
- Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.,Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Catherine E Oldenburg
- Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.,Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
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24
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Stuart B, Hounkpatin H, Becque T, Yao G, Zhu S, Alonso-Coello P, Altiner A, Arroll B, Böhning D, Bostock J, Bucher HC, Chao J, de la Poza M, Francis N, Gillespie D, Hay AD, Kenealy T, Löffler C, McCormick DP, Mas-Dalmau G, Muñoz L, Samuel K, Moore M, Little P. Delayed antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections: individual patient data meta-analysis. BMJ 2021; 373:n808. [PMID: 33910882 PMCID: PMC8080136 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the overall effect of delayed antibiotic prescribing on average symptom severity for patients with respiratory tract infections in the community, and to identify any factors modifying this effect. DESIGN Systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, and Web of Science. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STUDY SELECTION Randomised controlled trials and observational cohort studies in a community setting that allowed comparison between delayed versus no antibiotic prescribing, and delayed versus immediate antibiotic prescribing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the average symptom severity two to four days after the initial consultation measured on a seven item scale (ranging from normal to as bad as could be). Secondary outcomes were duration of illness after the initial consultation, complications resulting in admission to hospital or death, reconsultation with the same or worsening illness, and patient satisfaction rated on a Likert scale. RESULTS Data were obtained from nine randomised controlled trials and four observational studies, totalling 55 682 patients. No difference was found in follow-up symptom severity (seven point scale) for delayed versus immediate antibiotics (adjusted mean difference -0.003, 95% confidence interval -0.12 to 0.11) or delayed versus no antibiotics (0.02, -0.11 to 0.15). Symptom duration was slightly longer in those given delayed versus immediate antibiotics (11.4 v 10.9 days), but was similar for delayed versus no antibiotics. Complications resulting in hospital admission or death were lower with delayed versus no antibiotics (odds ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.30 to 1.27) and delayed versus immediate antibiotics (0.78, 0.53 to 1.13). A significant reduction in reconsultation rates (odds ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.60 to 0.87) and an increase in patient satisfaction (adjusted mean difference 0.09, 0.06 to 0.11) were observed in delayed versus no antibiotics. The effect of delayed versus immediate antibiotics and delayed versus no antibiotics was not modified by previous duration of illness, fever, comorbidity, or severity of symptoms. Children younger than 5 years had a slightly higher follow-up symptom severity with delayed antibiotics than with immediate antibiotics (adjusted mean difference 0.10, 95% confidence interval 0.03 to 0.18), but no increased severity was found in the older age group. CONCLUSIONS Delayed antibiotic prescribing is a safe and effective strategy for most patients, including those in higher risk subgroups. Delayed prescribing was associated with similar symptom duration as no antibiotic prescribing and is unlikely to lead to poorer symptom control than immediate antibiotic prescribing. Delayed prescribing could reduce reconsultation rates and is unlikely to be associated with an increase in symptoms or illness duration, except in young children. STUDY REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42018079400.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Stuart
- Academic Unit of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Hilda Hounkpatin
- Academic Unit of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Taeko Becque
- Academic Unit of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Guiqing Yao
- Biostatistics Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Shihua Zhu
- Academic Unit of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Pablo Alonso-Coello
- Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau-CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Attila Altiner
- Institute of General Practice, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Bruce Arroll
- Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Dankmar Böhning
- Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Jennifer Bostock
- Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Heiner C Bucher
- Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CEB), University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Chao
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Mariam de la Poza
- Institut Català de la Salut, CAP Doctor Carles Ribas, Foc 112, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nick Francis
- Academic Unit of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - David Gillespie
- Centre for Trials Research, School of Medicine, College of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Alastair D Hay
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Timothy Kenealy
- Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Christin Löffler
- Institute of General Practice, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - David P McCormick
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Gemma Mas-Dalmau
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Muñoz
- Agència de Qualitat i Avaluació Sanitàries de Catalunya (AQuAS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kirsty Samuel
- ASPIRE PPI Panel, Leeds Institute for Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Michael Moore
- Academic Unit of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Paul Little
- Academic Unit of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Etiology of Clinical Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Swedish Children Aged 1-59 Months with High Pneumococcal Vaccine Coverage-The TREND Study. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9040384. [PMID: 33919904 PMCID: PMC8070909 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9040384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Immunization with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines has decreased the burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children and likely led to a shift in CAP etiology. (2) The Trial of Respiratory infections in children for ENhanced Diagnostics (TREND) enrolled children 1-59 months with clinical CAP according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria at Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Children with rhonchi and indrawing underwent "bronchodilator challenge". C-reactive protein and nasopharyngeal PCR detecting 20 respiratory pathogens, were collected from all children. Etiology was defined according to an a priori defined algorithm based on microbiological, biochemical, and radiological findings. (3) Of 327 enrolled children, 107 (32%) required hospitalization; 91 (28%) received antibiotic treatment; 77 (24%) had a chest X-ray performed; and 60 (18%) responded to bronchodilator challenge. 243 (74%) episodes were classified as viral, 11 (3%) as mixed viral-bacterial, five (2%) as bacterial, two (0.6%) as atypical bacterial and 66 (20%) as undetermined etiology. After exclusion of children responding to bronchodilator challenge, the proportion of bacterial and mixed viral-bacterial etiology was 1% and 4%, respectively. (4) The novel TREND etiology algorithm classified the majority of clinical CAP episodes as of viral etiology, whereas bacterial etiology was uncommon. Defining CAP in children <5 years is challenging, and the WHO definition of clinical CAP is not suitable for use in children immunized with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.
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Lassi ZS, Padhani ZA, Das JK, Salam RA, Bhutta ZA. Antibiotic therapy versus no antibiotic therapy for children aged 2 to 59 months with WHO-defined non-severe pneumonia and wheeze. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021; 1:CD009576. [PMID: 33469915 PMCID: PMC8092454 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd009576.pub3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Worldwide, pneumonia is the leading cause of death amongst children under five years of age, and accounts for approximately two million deaths annually. Pneumonia can be classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Classification includes assessment of certain clinical signs and symptoms, and the severity of the disease. Treatment is then tailored according to the classification. For non-severe pneumonia, the WHO recommends treatment with oral antibiotics. We used the 2014 WHO definition of non-severe pneumonia for this review: an acute episode of cough, or difficulty in breathing, combined with fast breathing and chest indrawing. The WHO recommends treating non-severe pneumonia with oral antibiotics. Pneumonia is more commonly caused by viruses that do not require antibiotic treatment, but pneumonia caused by bacteria needs management with antibiotics to avoid complications. There is no clear way to quickly distinguish between viral and bacterial pneumonia. It is considered safe to give antibiotics, however, this may lead to the development of antibiotic resistance, and thus, limit their use in future infections. Therefore, it is essential to explore the efficacy of antibiotics for children with WHO-defined non-severe pneumonia and wheeze. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy of antibiotic therapy versus no antibiotic therapy for children aged 2 to 59 months with WHO-defined non-severe pneumonia and wheeze. SEARCH METHODS We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, four other databases, and two trial registers (December 2020). SELECTION CRITERIA We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of antibiotic therapy versus no antibiotic therapy for children, aged 2 to 59 months, with non-severe pneumonia and wheeze. We defined non-severe pneumonia as 'a cough or difficulty in breathing, with rapid breathing (a respiratory rate of 50 breaths per minute or more for children aged 2 to 12 months, or a respiratory rate of 40 breaths per minute or more for children aged 12 to 59 months), chest indrawing and wheeze'. We excluded trials involving children with severe or very severe pneumonia, and non-RCTs. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Our primary outcomes were clinical cure and treatment failure; secondary outcomes were relapse, mortality, and treatment harms. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence. Two review authors independently assessed the search results, extracted data, assessed risk of bias and the certainty of the evidence. We contacted the authors of two included trials and the author of the trial awaiting classification to obtain missing numerical outcome data. MAIN RESULTS We included three trials involving 3256 children aged between 2 to 59 months, who exhibited features of non-severe pneumonia with wheeze. The included trials were multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trials carried out in Malawi, Pakistan, and India. The children were treated with a three-day course of amoxicillin or placebo, and were followed up for a total of two weeks. We assessed the included trials at overall low risk of bias for random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding, attrition bias, and selective reporting. Only one trial was assessed to be at high risk for blinding of outcome assessors. One trial is awaiting classification Antibiotic therapy may result in a reduction of treatment failure by 20% (risk ratio (RR) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68 to 0.94; three trials; 3222 participants; low-certainty evidence). Antibiotic therapy probably results in little or no difference to clinical cure (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.08; one trial; 456 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and in little or no difference to relapse (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.34; three trials; 2795 participants; low-certainty evidence), and treatment harms (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.09; three trials, 3253 participants; low-certainty evidence). Two trials (2112 participants ) reported on mortality; no deaths occurred in either group. One trial reported cases of hospitalisation, diarrhoea (with and without dehydration), rash (without itch), tremors, mild nausea and vomiting. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS We do not currently have enough evidence to support or challenge the continued use of antibiotics for the treatment of non-severe pneumonia. There is a clear need for RCTs to address this question in children aged 2 to 59 months with 2014 WHO-defined non-severe pneumonia and wheeze.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohra S Lassi
- Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Zahra Ali Padhani
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Jai K Das
- Division of Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rehana A Salam
- Division of Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- Centre for Global Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
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Pittet LF, Kadambari S, Abo YN. Amoxicillin Course Length or Use in Childhood Pneumonia in Underserved Areas. N Engl J Med 2020; 383:1392-1393. [PMID: 32997917 DOI: 10.1056/nejmc2026544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laure F Pittet
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Ginsburg AS, Klugman KP. Antibiotics for paediatric community-acquired pneumonia in resource-constrained settings. Eur Respir J 2020; 56:56/3/2002773. [PMID: 32943429 PMCID: PMC7494842 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02773-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Despite Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccination strategies, pneumonia remains the leading infectious cause of child mortality. Greater access to appropriate treatment is critical; however, defining “appropriate” is problematic. World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend diagnosing pneumonia using clinical signs and a non-specific, pragmatic case definition: fast breathing or chest indrawing (pneumonia) and presence of WHO danger signs (severe pneumonia) in children with cough or difficulty breathing [1]. It is unclear whether all “pneumonia” using these definitions needs to be treated with antibiotics, and if so, for how long. 3 days of amoxicillin may be sufficient to treat most non-severe community-acquired paediatric pneumonia in resource-constrained settingshttps://bit.ly/3jmQSTX
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Chang
- From the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, and the Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane (A.B.C.), the Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, QLD (A.B.C.), and the School of Medicine and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, and the Departments of Infectious Diseases and Paediatrics, Gold Coast Health, Gold Coast (K.G.) - all in Australia
| | - Keith Grimwood
- From the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, and the Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane (A.B.C.), the Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, QLD (A.B.C.), and the School of Medicine and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, and the Departments of Infectious Diseases and Paediatrics, Gold Coast Health, Gold Coast (K.G.) - all in Australia
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