Predictors of Unlikely Bacterial Pneumonia and Adverse Pneumonia Outcome in Children Admitted to a Hospital in Central Vietnam

Clinical algorithm reduces antibiotic use among children presenting with respiratory symptoms to hospital in central Vietnam

OBJECTIVE

To assess the safety and utility of a pragmatic clinical algorithm to guide rational antibiotic use in children presenting with respiratory infection.

METHODS

The effect of an algorithm to guide the management of young (< 5 years) children presenting with respiratory symptoms to the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children, Vietnam, was evaluated in a before-after intervention analysis. The main outcome was reduction in antibiotic use, with monitoring of potential harm resulting from reduced antibiotic use. The intervention comprised a single training session of physicians in the use of an algorithm informed by local evidence; developed during a previous prospective observational study. The evaluation was performed one month after the training.

RESULTS

Of the 1290 children evaluated before the intervention, 102 (7.9%) were admitted to hospital and 556/1188 (46.8%) were sent home with antibiotics. Due to COVID-19, only 166 children were evaluated after the intervention of whom 14 (8.4%) were admitted to hospital and 54/152 (35.5%) were sent home with antibiotics. Antibiotic use was reduced (from 46.8% to 35.5%; p = 0.009) after clinician training, but adequate comparison was compromised. The reduction was most pronounced in children with wheeze or runny nose and no fever, or a normal chest radiograph, where antibiotic use declined from 46.7% to 28.8% (p < 0.0001). The frequency of repeat presentation to hospital was similar between the two study periods (141/1188; 11.9% before and 10/152; 6.6% after; p = 0.10). No child represented with serious disease after being sent home without antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed a reduction in antibiotic use in young children with a respiratory infection after physician training in the use of a simple evidence-based management algorithm. However, the study was severely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, requiring further evaluation to confirm the observed effect.

Values of combined C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and serum amyloid A in differential diagnosis of bacterial and non-bacterial community acquired pneumonia in children

This research aimed to explore the clinical value of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and serum amyloid A (SAA) in early diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia. CRP, PCT, and SAA levels of children with bacterial pneumonia, children with non-bacterial pneumonia, and healthy children were compared. The sensitivity and specificity of CRP, PCT, and SAA in the diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia in children were compared. CRP, PCT, and SAA levels were significantly lower in healthy children when compared with children with Community acquired pneumonia (CAP). ROC analyses showed that CRP, PCT, and SAA all had good accuracy in distinguishing bacterial pneumonia from non-bacterial pneumonia. The combination of CRP, PCT, and SAA further enhanced the accuracy in distinguishing bacterial pneumonia from non-bacterial pneumonia. In conclusion, the expression levels of CRP, PCT, and SAA could indicate the status of bacterial pneumonia. The combined test of CRP, PCT, and SAA had the highest diagnostic accuracy.

The dilemma of improving rational antibiotic use in pediatric community-acquired pneumonia

Pneumonia is the number one cause of disease and deaths in children under five years old, outside the neonatal period, with the greatest number of cases reported from resource-limited settings. The etiology is variable, with not much information on the local etiology drug resistance profile in many countries. Recent studies suggest an increasing contribution from respiratory viruses, also in children with severe pneumonia, with an increased relative contribution in settings that have good vaccine coverage against common bacterial pathogens. Respiratory virus circulation was greatly reduced during highly restrictive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 but rebounded once COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed. We conducted a comprehensive literature review of the disease burden, pathogens, case management and current available prevention of community acquired childhood pneumonia, with a focus on rational antibiotic use, since the treatment of respiratory infections is the leading cause of antibiotic use in children. Consistent application of revised World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance that children presenting with coryzal symptoms or wheeze can be managed without antibiotics in the absence of fever, will help to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, as will increased availability and use of bedside inflammatory marker tests, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) in children with respiratory symptoms and fever.

Appropriateness of antimicrobial selection for treatment of pneumonia in selected public hospitals of Eastern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Objective

Inappropriate antimicrobial use leads to drug resistance and poor clinical outcomes. Considering the lack of data regarding the drug use patterns in the treatment of pneumonia in selected study areas, the authors felt compelled to assess the appropriateness of antimicrobial usage in the treatment of pneumonia at Hiwot Fana Specialized Comprehensive University Hospital and Jugal Hospital from May 1 to 31, 2021.

Methods

A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted using the medical cards of 693 admitted patients with pneumonia. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors associated with an initial inappropriate antibiotic use. A p value of 0.05 was used to determine the statistical significance of the association using an adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval.

Results

Of the total participants, 116 (16.74%, 95% confidence interval: 14.1-19.6) of them received an initial inappropriate antimicrobial regimen. Ceftriaxone plus azithromycin was the most prescribed antimicrobial agent. Patients who were younger than 5 years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.71; 95% confidence interval: 1.00-2.94), between 6 and 14 years (adjusted odds ratio = 3.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.64-6.00), and older than 65 years (adjusted odds ratio = 2.97; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-2.66), with comorbid conditions (adjusted odds ratio = 1.74; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-2.72) and prescribed by medical interns (adjusted odds ratio = 1.80; 95% confidence interval: 1.14-2.84) were associated with an initial inappropriate antimicrobial use.

Conclusion

Around one out of every six patients had received initial inappropriate treatments. Adherence to the recommendation of guidelines and attention to extreme-aged groups and comorbidity may improve antimicrobial use.

The utility of chest x-ray and lung ultrasound in the management of infants and children presenting with severe pneumonia in low-and middle-income countries: A pragmatic scoping review

Background

Chest x-ray (CXR) is commonly used (when available) to support clinical management decisions for child pneumonia and provide a reference standard for diagnosis in research studies. However, its diagnostic and technical limitations for both purposes are well recognised. Recent evidence suggests that lung ultrasound (LUS) may have diagnostic utility in pneumonia. This systematic scoping review of research on the utility of CXR and LUS in the management of severe childhood pneumonia aims to inform pragmatic guidelines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and identify gaps in knowledge.

Methods

We included peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2020 in infants and children aged from one month to nine years, presenting with severe pneumonia. CXR studies were limited to those from LMICs, while LUS studies included any geographic region. LUS and CXR articles were mapped into the following themes: indications, role in diagnosis, role in management, impact on outcomes, and practical considerations for LMIC settings.

Results

85 articles met all eligibility criteria, including 27 CXR studies and 58 LUS studies. CXR studies were primarily observational and examined associations between radiographic abnormalities and pneumonia aetiology or outcomes. The most consistent finding was an association between CXR consolidation and risk of mortality. Difficulty obtaining quality CXR images and inter-reader variability in interpretation were commonly reported challenges. Research evaluating indications for CXR, role in management, and impact on patient outcomes was very limited. LUS studies primarily focused on diagnostic accuracy. LUS had higher sensitivity for identification of consolidation than CXR. There are gaps in knowledge regarding diagnostic criteria, as well as the practical utility of LUS in the diagnosis and management of pneumonia. Most LUS studies were conducted in HIC settings with experienced operators; however, small feasibility studies indicate that good inter-operator reliability may be achieved by training of novice clinicians in LMIC settings.

Conclusions

The available evidence does not support the routine use of CXR or LUS as essential tools in the diagnosis and initial management of severe pneumonia. Further evaluation is required to determine the clinical utility and feasibility of both imaging modalities in low-resource settings.

Applying lessons learnt from research of child pneumonia management in Vietnam

Pneumonia is the leading cause of paediatric hospitalisation in Vietnam, placing a huge burden on the health care system. Pneumonia is also the main reason for antibiotic use in children. Unfortunately many hospital admissions for child pneumonia in Vietnam are unnecessary and inappropriate use of antibiotics is common, as in the rest of Asia, with little awareness of its adverse effects. We explored the value of an alternative approach that, instead of focusing on the identification of children with severe bacterial pneumonia, focuses on the identification of children with 'unlikely bacterial pneumonia' to improve patient care and rational antibiotic use. Implementing improved models of care require pragmatic management algorithms that are well validated, but it is ultimately dependent on financial structures, management support and evidence-based training of healthcare providers at all relevant levels. Apart from better case management, sustained reductions in the pneumonia disease burden also require increased emphasis on primary prevention.

Pediatricians' Compliance to the Clinical Management Guidelines for Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Infants and Young Children in Pakistan

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is among the most commonly prevailing acute infections in children that may require hospitalization. Inconsistencies among suggested care and actual management practices are usually observed, which raises the need to assess local clinical practices. The current study was conducted to evaluate pediatricians’ compliance with the standard clinical practice guidelines and their antibiotic-prescribing behavior for the management of CAP in children. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire; which was provided to pediatricians by the researchers. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 25 Statistics; χ² tests (or Fisher-exact tests) with the p-value set at < 0.05 as the threshold for statistical significance. Results: The overall response rate was 59.2%. Male respondents were (n = 101; 42.6%), and the respondents (n = 163; 68.7%) were under 30 years of age. Amoxicillin (n = 122; 51.5%) was considered as the most commonly used first-line treatment for non-severe pneumonia, whereas a smaller proportion (n = 81; 34.2%) of respondents selected amoxicillin–clavulanate. Likewise, amoxicillin (n = 100; 42.2%) was the most popular choice for non-severe pneumonia in hospitalized children; however, if children had used antibiotics earlier to admission, respondents showed an inclination to prescribe a macrolide (n = 95; 40.0%) or second-generation cephalosporin (n = 90; 37.9%). More than 90% responded that children <6 months old with suspected bacterial CAP will probably receive better therapeutic care by hospitalization. Restricting exposure to the antibiotic as much as possible (n = 71; 29.9%), improving antibiotic prescribing (n = 59; 24.8%), and using the appropriate dose of antimicrobials (n = 29; 12.2%) were considered the major factors by the respondents to reduce antimicrobials resistance. Conclusions: The selection of antibiotics and diagnostic approach was as per the recommendations, but indication, duration of treatment, and hospitalization still can be further improved.

Antibiotic use in children hospitalised with pneumonia in Central Vietnam

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Excessive use of antibiotics has been noted in children with respiratory tract infections in Vietnam, but antibiotic use in hospitalised children is poorly documented. Antibiotic use and direct healthcare costs in children hospitalised with pneumonia in central Vietnam were assessed.

METHODS

A prospective descriptive study of children under 5 years old admitted with a primary admission diagnosis of 'pneumonia' to the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children over 1 year.

RESULTS

Of 2911 children hospitalised with pneumonia, 2735 (94.0%) were classified as 'non-severe' pneumonia by the admitting physician. In total, 2853 (98.0%) children received antibiotics. Intravenous antibiotics were given to 336 (12.3%) children with 'non-severe' and 157/176 (89.2%) children with 'severe' pneumonia; those with 'non-severe' pneumonia accounted for 68.2% (336/493) of intravenous antibiotics given. Only 19.3% (95/493) of children on intravenous antibiotics were stepped down to an oral antibiotic. Cefuroxime was the preferred oral agent, and ceftriaxone was the preferred injectable agent. Hospital admission for oral antibiotics in 'non-severe' pneumonia was a major cost driver, with an average direct cost of US$78.9 per patient, accounting for 54.0% of the total hospitalisation cost in the study cohort. In addition, 336 (12.3%) children with non-severe pneumonia received intravenous antibiotics without indication, accounting for a further 23.2% of hospitalisation costs.

CONCLUSION

Limiting unnecessary hospitalisation and considering early intravenous to oral step down antibiotic will reduce direct health system costs and morbidity in children with respiratory tract infections in Vietnam.