A systematic review on the diagnosis of pediatric bacterial pneumonia: when gold is bronze

Microfluidic methods for the diagnosis of acute respiratory tract infections

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are caused by sporadic or pandemic outbreaks of viral or bacterial pathogens, and continue to be a considerable socioeconomic burden for both developing and industrialized countries alike. Diagnostic methods and technologies serving as the cornerstone for disease management, epidemiological tracking, and public health interventions are evolving continuously to keep up with the demand for higher sensitivity, specificity and analytical throughput. Microfluidics is becoming a key technology in these developments as it allows for integrating, miniaturizing and automating bioanalytical assays at an unprecedented scale, reducing sample and reagent consumption and improving diagnostic performance in terms of sensitivity, throughput and response time. In this article, we describe relevant ARTIs-pneumonia, influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and coronavirus disease 2019-along with their pathogenesis. We provide a summary of established methods for disease diagnosis, involving nucleic acid amplification techniques, antigen detection, serological testing as well as microbial culture. This is followed by a short introduction to microfluidics and how flow is governed at low volume and reduced scale using centrifugation, pneumatic pumping, electrowetting, capillary action, and propagation in porous media through wicking, for each of these principles impacts the design, functioning and performance of diagnostic tools in a particular way. We briefly cover commercial instruments that employ microfluidics for use in both laboratory and point-of-care settings. The main part of the article is dedicated to emerging methods deriving from the use of miniaturized, microfluidic systems for ARTI diagnosis. Finally, we share our thoughts on future perspectives and the challenges associated with validation, approval, and adaptation of microfluidic-based systems.

Development and testing of a deep learning algorithm to detect lung consolidation among children with pneumonia using hand-held ultrasound

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Severe pneumonia is the leading cause of death among young children worldwide, disproportionately impacting children who lack access to advanced diagnostic imaging. Here our objectives were to develop and test the accuracy of an artificial intelligence algorithm for detecting features of pulmonary consolidation on point-of-care lung ultrasounds among hospitalized children.

METHODS

This was a prospective, multicenter center study conducted at academic Emergency Department and Pediatric inpatient or intensive care units between 2018-2020. Pediatric participants from 18 months to 17 years old with suspicion of lower respiratory tract infection were enrolled. Bedside lung ultrasounds were performed using a Philips handheld Lumify C5-2 transducer and standardized protocol to collect video loops from twelve lung zones, and lung features at both the video and frame levels annotated. Data from both affected and unaffected lung fields were split at the participant level into training, tuning, and holdout sets used to train, tune hyperparameters, and test an algorithm for detection of consolidation features. Data collected from adults with lower respiratory tract disease were added to enrich the training set. Algorithm performance at the video level to detect consolidation on lung ultrasound was determined using reference standard diagnosis of positive or negative pneumonia derived from clinical data.

RESULTS

Data from 107 pediatric participants yielded 117 unique exams and contributed 604 positive and 589 negative videos for consolidation that were utilized for the algorithm development process. Overall accuracy for the model for identification and localization of consolidation was 88.5%, with sensitivity 88%, specificity 89%, positive predictive value 89%, and negative predictive value 87%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our algorithm demonstrated high accuracy for identification of consolidation features on pediatric chest ultrasound in children with pneumonia. Automated diagnostic support on an ultraportable point-of-care device has important implications for global health, particularly in austere settings.

Efficacy of Antibiotic Regimens for Pneumonia in Young Infants Aged 0-59 Days: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

Pneumonia is a leading cause of death in young infants.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of different antibiotic regimens to treat young infant pneumonia on critical clinical outcomes.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, World Health Organization (WHO) Global Index Medicus, Cochrane Central Registry of Trials.

STUDY SELECTION

We included randomized controlled trials of young infants aged 0 to 59 days with pneumonia (population) comparing the efficacy of antibiotic regimens (intervention) with alternate regimens or management (control) on clinical outcomes.

DATA EXTRACTION

We extracted data and assessed risk of bias in duplicate. We used Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation to assess certainty of evidence.

LIMITATIONS

Trials were heterogeneous, which precluded data pooling.

RESULTS

Of 2601 publications screened, 10 randomized controlled trials were included. Seven trials were hospital-based (n = 869) and 3 were nonhospital-based (n = 4329). No hospital-based trials evaluated WHO-recommended first-choice regimens. One trial found the WHO-recommended second-choice antibiotic, cefotaxime, to have similar rates of treatment success as non-WHO-recommended regimens of either amoxicillin-clavulanate (RR 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.82-1.10) or amoxicillin-clavulanate/cefotaxime (RR 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.86-1.12). Among 3 nonhospital-based trials comparing oral amoxicillin to alternate regimens to treat isolated tachypnea among infants aged 7-59 days, there were no differences in treatment failure between amoxicillin and alternate regimens. Certainty of evidence was low or very low for all primary outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

We found limited evidence to support the superiority of any single antibiotic regimen over alternate regimens to treat young infant pneumonia.

Radiographic pneumonia in young febrile infants presenting to the emergency department: secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The lack of evidence-based criteria to guide chest radiograph (CXR) use in young febrile infants results in variation in its use with resultant suboptimal quality of care. We sought to describe the features associated with radiographic pneumonias in young febrile infants.

STUDY DESIGN

Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study in 18 emergency departments (EDs) in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network from 2016 to 2019. Febrile (≥38°C) infants aged ≤60 days who received CXRs were included. CXR reports were categorised as 'no', 'possible' or 'definite' pneumonia. We compared demographics, clinical signs and laboratory tests among infants with and without pneumonias.

RESULTS

Of 2612 infants, 568 (21.7%) had CXRs performed; 19 (3.3%) had definite and 34 (6%) had possible pneumonias. Patients with definite (4/19, 21.1%) or possible (11/34, 32.4%) pneumonias more frequently presented with respiratory distress compared with those without (77/515, 15.0%) pneumonias (adjusted OR 2.17; 95% CI 1.04 to 4.51). There were no differences in temperature or HR in infants with and without radiographic pneumonias. The median serum procalcitonin (PCT) level was higher in the definite (0.7 ng/mL (IQR 0.1, 1.5)) vs no pneumonia (0.1 ng/mL (IQR 0.1, 0.3)) groups, as was the median absolute neutrophil count (ANC) (definite, 5.8 K/mcL (IQR 3.9, 6.9) vs no pneumonia, 3.1 K/mcL (IQR 1.9, 5.3)). No infants with pneumonia had bacteraemia. Viral detection was frequent (no pneumonia (309/422, 73.2%), definite pneumonia (11/16, 68.8%), possible pneumonia (25/29, 86.2%)). Respiratory syncytial virus was the predominant pathogen in the pneumonia groups and rhinovirus in infants without pneumonias.

CONCLUSIONS

Radiographic pneumonias were uncommon in febrile infants. Viral detection was common. Pneumonia was associated with respiratory distress, but few other factors. Although ANC and PCT levels were elevated in infants with definite pneumonias, further work is necessary to evaluate the role of blood biomarkers in infant pneumonias.

Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Children

ABSTRACT

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the most common cause of childhood mortality globally. In the United States, CAP is a leading cause of pediatric hospitalization and antibiotic use and is associated with substantial morbidity. There has been a dramatic shift in microbiological etiologies for CAP in children over time as pneumococcal pneumonia has become less common and viral etiologies have become predominant. There is no commonly agreed on approach to the diagnosis of CAP in children. When indicated, antimicrobial treatment should consist of narrow-spectrum antibiotics. In this article, we will describe the current understanding of the microbiological etiologies, clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, risk factors, treatment, and future directions in the diagnosis and management of pediatric CAP.

Association of Chest Radiography With Outcomes in Pediatric Pneumonia: A Population-Based Study

OBJECTIVE

Chest radiograph (CXR) is often performed for the evaluation of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the ED setting. We sought to evaluate the association of undergoing CXR with 7-day hospitalization after emergency department (ED) discharge among patients with CAP.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study including children 3 months to 17 years discharged from any ED within 8 states from 2014 to 2019. We evaluated the association of CXR performance with 7-day hospitalization at both the patient and ED levels using mixed-effects logistic regression models accounting for markers of illness severity. Secondary outcomes included 7-day ED revisits and 7-day hospitalization with severe CAP.

RESULTS

Among 206 694 children with CAP, rates of 7-day ED revisit, hospitalization, and severe CAP were 8.9%, 1.6%, and 0.4%, respectively. After adjusting for illness severity, CXR was associated with fewer 7-day hospitalizations (1.6% vs. 1.7%, adjusted odds ratio: [aOR] 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73-0.92). CXR performance varied somewhat between EDs (median 91.5%, IQR: 85.3%-95.0%). EDs in the highest quartile had fewer 7-day hospitalizations (1.4% vs 1.9%, aOR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.65-0.94), ED revisits (8.5% vs 9.4%, aOR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.80-0.96) and hospitalizations for severe CAP (0.3% vs. 0.5%, aOR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.51-0.97) as compared to EDs with the lowest quartile of CXR utilization.

CONCLUSIONS

Among children discharged from the ED with CAP, performance of CXR was associated with a small but significant reduction in hospitalization within 7 days. CXR may be helpful in the prognostic evaluation of children with CAP discharged from the ED.

Systematic review on the impact of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine ten valent (PCV10) or thirteen valent (PCV13) on all-cause, radiologically confirmed and severe pneumonia hospitalisation rates and pneumonia mortality in children 0-9 years old

Background

There is an ongoing need to assess the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) to guide the use of these potentially valuable but under-utilized vaccines against pneumonia, which is one of the most common causes of post-neonatal mortality.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of the literature on PCV10 and PCV13 impact on all-cause, radiologically confirmed and severe pneumonia hospitalisation rates as well as all-cause and pneumonia-specific mortality rates. We included studies that were published from 2003 onwards, had a post-licensure observational study design, and reported on any of our defined outcomes in children aged between 0-9 years. We derived incidence rates (IRs), incidence rate ratios (IRRs) or percent differences (%). We assessed all studies for risk of bias using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool.

Results

We identified a total of 1885 studies and included 43 comparing one or more of the following hospitalised outcomes of interest: all-cause pneumonia (n = 27), severe pneumonia (n = 6), all-cause empyema (n = 8), radiologically confirmed pneumonia (n = 8), pneumococcal pneumonia (n = 7), and pneumonia mortality (n = 10). No studies evaluated all-cause mortality. Studies were conducted in all WHO regions except South East Asia Region (SEAR) and low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Western Pacific Region (WPR). Among children <5 years old, PCV impact ranged from 7% to 60% for all-cause pneumonia hospitalisation, 8% to 90% for severe pneumonia hospitalisation, 12% to 79% for radiologically confirmed pneumonia, and 45% to 85% for pneumococcal confirmed pneumonia. For pneumonia-related mortality, impact was found in three studies and ranged from 10% to 78%. No obvious differences were found in vaccine impact between PCV10 and PCV13. One study found a 17% reduction in all-cause pneumonia among children aged 5-9 years, while another found a reduction of 81% among those aged 5-17 years. A third study found a 57% reduction in all-cause empyema among children 5-14 years of age.

Conclusion

We found clear evidence of declines in hospitalisation rates due to all-cause, severe, radiologically confirmed, and bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia in children aged <5 years, supporting ongoing use of PCV10 and PCV13. However, there were few studies from countries with the highest <5-year mortality and no studies from SEAR and LMICs in the WPR. Standardising methods of future PCV impact studies is recommended.

Systematic review on the impact of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine ten valent (PCV10) or thirteen valent (PCV13) on all-cause, radiologically confirmed and severe pneumonia hospitalisation rates and pneumonia mortality in children 0-9 years old

Background

There is an ongoing need to assess the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) to guide the use of these potentially valuable but under-utilized vaccines against pneumonia, which is one of the most common causes of post-neonatal mortality.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of the literature on PCV10 and PCV13 impact on all-cause, radiologically confirmed and severe pneumonia hospitalisation rates as well as all-cause and pneumonia-specific mortality rates. We included studies that were published from 2003 onwards, had a post-licensure observational study design, and reported on any of our defined outcomes in children aged between 0-9 years. We derived incidence rates (IRs), incidence rate ratios (IRRs) or percent differences (%). We assessed all studies for risk of bias using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool.

Results

We identified a total of 1885 studies and included 43 comparing one or more of the following hospitalised outcomes of interest: all-cause pneumonia (n = 27), severe pneumonia (n = 6), all-cause empyema (n = 8), radiologically confirmed pneumonia (n = 8), pneumococcal pneumonia (n = 7), and pneumonia mortality (n = 10). No studies evaluated all-cause mortality. Studies were conducted in all WHO regions except South East Asia Region (SEAR) and low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Western Pacific Region (WPR). Among children <5 years old, PCV impact ranged from 7% to 60% for all-cause pneumonia hospitalisation, 8% to 90% for severe pneumonia hospitalisation, 12% to 79% for radiologically confirmed pneumonia, and 45% to 85% for pneumococcal confirmed pneumonia. For pneumonia-related mortality, impact was found in three studies and ranged from 10% to 78%. No obvious differences were found in vaccine impact between PCV10 and PCV13. One study found a 17% reduction in all-cause pneumonia among children aged 5-9 years, while another found a reduction of 81% among those aged 5-17 years. A third study found a 57% reduction in all-cause empyema among children 5-14 years of age.

Conclusion

We found clear evidence of declines in hospitalisation rates due to all-cause, severe, radiologically confirmed, and bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia in children aged <5 years, supporting ongoing use of PCV10 and PCV13. However, there were few studies from countries with the highest <5-year mortality and no studies from SEAR and LMICs in the WPR. Standardising methods of future PCV impact studies is recommended.

Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Antimicrobial Resistance of Invasive Escherichia Coli Disease in Patients Admitted in Tertiary Care Hospitals

Background

Invasive Escherichia coli disease (IED), including bloodstream infection, sepsis, and septic shock, can lead to high hospitalization and mortality rates. This multinational study describes the clinical profile of patients with IED in tertiary care hospitals.

Methods

We applied clinical criteria of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, or septic shock to patients hospitalized with culture-confirmed E coli from urine or a presumed sterile site. We assessed a proposed clinical case definition against physician diagnoses.

Results

Most patients with IED (N = 902) were adults aged ≥60 years (76.5%); 51.9%, 25.1%, and 23.0% of cases were community-acquired (CA), hospital-acquired (HA), and healthcare-associated (HCA), respectively. The urinary tract was the most common source of infection (52.3%). Systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, and septic shock were identified in 77.4%, 65.3%, and 14.1% of patients, respectively. Patients >60 years were more likely to exhibit organ dysfunction than those ≤60 years; this trend was not observed for SIRS. The case-fatality rate (CFR) was 20.0% (60-75 years, 21.5%; ≥75 years, 22.2%), with an increase across IED acquisition settings (HA, 28.3%; HCA, 21.7%; CA, 15.2%). Noticeably, 77.8% of patients initiated antibiotic use on the day of culture sample collection. A total of 65.6% and 40.8% of E coli isolates were resistant to ≥1 agent in ≥1 or ≥2 drug class(es). A 96.1% agreement was seen between the proposed clinical case definition and physician's diagnoses of IED.

Conclusions

This study contributes valuable, real-world data about IED severity. An accepted case definition could promote timely and accurate diagnosis of IED and inform the development of novel preventative strategies.

Assembling a global database of child pneumonia studies to inform WHO pneumonia management algorithm: Methodology and applications

Background

The existing World Health Organization (WHO) pneumonia case management guidelines rely on clinical symptoms and signs for identifying, classifying, and treating pneumonia in children up to 5 years old. We aimed to collate an individual patient-level data set from large, high-quality pre-existing studies on pneumonia in children to identify a set of signs and symptoms with greater validity in the diagnosis, prognosis, and possible treatment of childhood pneumonia for the improvement of current pneumonia case management guidelines.

Methods

Using data from a published systematic review and expert knowledge, we identified studies meeting our eligibility criteria and invited investigators to share individual-level patient data. We collected data on demographic information, general medical history, and current illness episode, including history, clinical presentation, chest radiograph findings when available, treatment, and outcome. Data were gathered separately from hospital-based and community-based cases. We performed a narrative synthesis to describe the final data set.

Results

Forty-one separate data sets were included in the Pneumonia Research Partnership to Assess WHO Recommendations (PREPARE) database, 26 of which were hospital-based and 15 were community-based. The PREPARE database includes 285 839 children with pneumonia (244 323 in the hospital and 41 516 in the community), with detailed descriptions of clinical presentation, clinical progression, and outcome. Of 9185 pneumonia-related deaths, 6836 (74%) occurred in children <1 year of age and 1317 (14%) in children aged 1-2 years. Of the 285 839 episodes, 280 998 occurred in children 0-59 months old, of which 129 584 (46%) were 2-11 months of age and 152 730 (54%) were males.

Conclusions

This data set could identify an improved specific, sensitive set of criteria for diagnosing clinical pneumonia and help identify sick children in need of referral to a higher level of care or a change of therapy. Field studies could be designed based on insights from PREPARE analyses to validate a potential revised pneumonia algorithm. The PREPARE methodology can also act as a model for disease database assembly.

Childhood Pneumonia Diagnostics in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

The prompt and accurate aetiological diagnosis of childhood pneumonia remains a challenge, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) because of limited resources for disease management.

OBJECTIVE

To review existing diagnostics for childhood pneumonia and potential modalities available to differentiate between bacterial and viral aetiologies in SSA.

METHODS

Online databases were searched for relevant articles published between January 2010 and December 2020 regarding childhood pneumonia diagnosis, conducted in SSA in children less than 18 years of age. The 2020 PRISMA checklist was utilized in appraising the selected studies and the QUADAS-2 tool was employed to assess the risk of bias in each of the studies selected.

RESULTS

A total of 1542 study titles and abstracts were screened following which 45 studies (39 on childhood pneumonia diagnostics and 6 on discriminating between bacterial and viral childhood pneumonia) were selected for review. Microbiological investigations (79.7%) constituted the most utilized index tests with blood-related specimen (32.8%) being the most utilized specimen. The most performed index diagnostic modality was polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (53.1%). The commonest reference gold standard technique was based on clinical diagnosis of the disease (46.2%). Only six studies in SSA attempted at using serum biomarkers, either singly or in combination to distinguish between aetiologies with use of combined biomarkers showing promise.

CONCLUSION

Microbiological investigations are the most employed diagnostic methods for childhood pneumonia in SSA. More studies are required to evaluate the potential use of serum biomarkers; either singly or in combination with the goal of discriminating bacterial and viral childhood pneumonia.

Association of Clinical Signs, Host Biomarkers and Etiology With Radiological Pneumonia in Bhutanese Children

Diagnosing pneumonia and identifying those requiring antibiotherapy remain challenging. Chest radiographs (CXR) are often used as the reference standard. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics, host-response biomarkers and etiology, and assess their relationship to CXR findings in children with pneumonia in Thimphu, Bhutan. Children between 2 and 59 months hospitalized with WHO-defined pneumonia were prospectively enrolled and classified into radiological endpoint and non-endpoint pneumonia. Blood and nasopharyngeal washing were collected for microbiological analyses and plasma levels of 11 host-response biomarkers were measured. Among 149 children with readable CXR, 39 (26.2%) presented with endpoint pneumonia. Identification of respiratory viruses was common, with no significant differences by radiological outcomes. No clinical sign was suggestive of radiological pneumonia, but children with radiological pneumonia presented higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. Markers of endothelial and immune activation had little accuracy for the reliable identification of radiological pneumonia.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type 3 in a 10-Year-Old Child With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) represents a group of rare connective tissue disorders characterized by excessive bone fragility. Type 3 is a rare form with new mutations; osteopenia and bone fragility are significant with numerous fractures, continuous and severe deformity of the spine, and long bones. Our case study concerns a 10-year-old male child admitted to the pediatric department of the State University of Haiti Hospital. OI type 3 was diagnosed based on both clinical and radiological assessments. Multidisciplinary care was initiated. Although the evolution was still unsatisfactory, characterized by intermittent episodes of dyspnea and left lung hypoplasia, he was stabilized after 28 days of hospitalization and referred to the orthopedics department for follow-up care.

Digital auscultation as a novel childhood pneumonia diagnostic tool for community clinics in Sylhet, Bangladesh: protocol for a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

The WHO's Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) algorithm for diagnosis of child pneumonia relies on counting respiratory rate and observing respiratory distress to diagnose childhood pneumonia. IMCI case defination for pneumonia performs with high sensitivity but low specificity, leading to overdiagnosis of child pneumonia and unnecessary antibiotic use. Including lung auscultation in IMCI could improve specificity of pneumonia diagnosis. Our objectives are: (1) assess lung sound recording quality by primary healthcare workers (HCWs) from under-5 children with the Feelix Smart Stethoscope and (2) determine the reliability and performance of recorded lung sound interpretations by an automated algorithm compared with reference paediatrician interpretations.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In a cross-sectional design, community HCWs will record lung sounds of ~1000 under-5-year-old children with suspected pneumonia at first-level facilities in Zakiganj subdistrict, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Enrolled children will be evaluated for pneumonia, including oxygen saturation, and have their lung sounds recorded by the Feelix Smart stethoscope at four sequential chest locations: two back and two front positions. A novel sound-filtering algorithm will be applied to recordings to address ambient noise and optimise recording quality. Recorded sounds will be assessed against a predefined quality threshold. A trained paediatric listening panel will classify recordings into one of the following categories: normal, crackles, wheeze, crackles and wheeze or uninterpretable. All sound files will be classified into the same categories by the automated algorithm and compared with panel classifications. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values, of the automated algorithm will be assessed considering the panel's final interpretation as gold standard.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study protocol was approved by the National Research Ethics Committee of Bangladesh Medical Research Council, Bangladesh (registration number: 09630012018) and Academic and Clinical Central Office for Research and Development Medical Research Ethics Committee, Edinburgh, UK (REC Reference: 18-HV-051). Dissemination will be through conference presentations, peer-reviewed journals and stakeholder engagement meetings in Bangladesh.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03959956.

Clinical impact of rapid viral respiratory panel testing on pediatric critical care of patients with acute lower respiratory infection

BACKGROUND

We aimed to determine the impact of utilizing a rapid panel test of respiratory viral and atypical bacteria (FilmArray® Respiratory Panel, FA RP) on etiological diagnosis of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) and antimicrobial stewardship in critical care pediatric patients.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study of patients aged<18 years with clinical diagnosis of ALRI that were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of Hospital Sant Joan de Deu (Barcelona, Spain) during December 2015-February 2017. Patients were diagnosed by FA RP and by a bundle of routine microbiological assays.

RESULTS

ALRI viral and bacterial etiology was confirmed by a composite reference standard of routine microbiological assays in 72 (55.4%) and 15 (11.5%) respiratory samples, respectively, that were collected from 130 children (median age, 3.5 months, IQR 1.1-14.8 months; 54.6% male). Comparatively, FA RP use increased etiological confirmation of ALRI in up to 123 (94.6%) samples (p<0.001) but only determined a bacterial origin in 2 (1.5%). Availability of diagnostic results before patient discharge from the PICU rose from 65.4 to 38.5% (p<0.001). Use of the new panel test directly influenced antimicrobial stewardship in 11 (8.4%) episodes, leading to discontinuation of antiviral drugs (n=5), administration of targeted antibiotics (n=3), antiviral therapy start (n=2) and both targeted antibiotic administration and discontinuation of antiviral drugs (n=1).

CONCLUSION

FA RP contributed to improve etiological diagnosis of ALRI in a timely manner while enhancing a more rational use of antimicrobial drugs in critical care pediatric patients.

Relationship between Radiological Findings with Bacterial Etiology of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Pediatric Population

Pneumonia continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Pneumonia is the leading killer of children worldwide. For the diagnosis of pneumonia, the World Health Organization has introduced guidelines for the management of cases to reduce the mortality of these diseases on the basis of simple clinical signs followed by the empirical treatment with antibiotics. More than 99% of deaths related to pneumonia among children occur in countries having a low and middle income. To study the Radiological finding of Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) in children. Across sectional study was conducted in which the sample size for the study was calculated from the expected prevalence of CAP based on other studies (74%). The sample size calculated by the required criterion for this study is 96. I was able to cover 118 patients as per the inclusion criteria in this study. The Patients of pediatric age groups and either sex attending tertiary care hospital with complaints suggestive of CAP. In this study total number of patients are 118 included who presented with the signs and symptoms suggestive of pneumonia. The findings of chest X-Ray of Right Lung with respect to different bacterial agents. Consolidation of the Right upper lobe is found to be statistically significant with respect to Streptococcus pneumonia and consolidation of the right lower lobe is found to be statistically significant with respect to bacteria Staphylococcus aureus whereas there is no statistically significant association with respect to other bacteria. The radiological finding of CAP in children attending pediatric OPD was observed that there was no association with any other bacteria.

Evaluation of antibiotic treatment decisions in pediatric intensive care units in Saudi Arabia: A national survey

OBJECTIVE

To describe variables used by Saudi pediatric intensivists to make antibiotic-related decisions for children with suspected severe bacterial infections.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey, which was developed using a multi-step methodological approach. The survey included 4 clinical scenarios of the most relevant bacterial infections in pediatric critical care (pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis and intra-abdominal infection). The potential determinants of antibiotic treatment duration addressed in all scenarios included clinical variables (patient characteristics, disease severity), laboratory infection markers, radiologic findings, and pathogens.

RESULTS

The response rate was 65% (55/85). Eight variables (immunodeficiency, 3 months of age, 2 or more organ dysfunctions, Pediatric Risk of Mortality III score >10, leukocytosis, elevated C-reactive protein [CRP], elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], and elevated procalcitonin [PCT]) were associated with prolonging antibiotic treatment duration for all 4 clinical scenarios, with a median increase ranging from 3.0 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.5, 3.5, leukocytosis) to 8.8 days (95% CI 5.5, 10.5, immunodeficiency). There were no variables that were consistently associated with shortening antibiotic duration across all scenarios. Lastly, the proportion of physicians who would continue antibiotics for ≥5 days despite a positive viral polymerase chain reaction test result was 67% for pneumonia, 85% for sepsis, 63% for meningitis, and 95% for intra-abdominal infections.

CONCLUSION

Antibiotic-related decisions for critically ill patients are complex and depend on several factors. Saudi pediatric intensivists will use prolonged courses of antibiotics for younger patients, patients with severe clinical picture, and patients with persistently elevated laboratory markers and hospital acquired infections, even when current literature and guidelines do not suggest such practices. Antimicrobial stewardship programs should include interventions to address these misconceptions to ensure the rational use of antibiotics in pediatric intensive care units.

A Novel Framework for Phenotyping Children With Suspected or Confirmed Infection for Future Biomarker Studies

Background: The limited diagnostic accuracy of biomarkers in children at risk of a serious bacterial infection (SBI) might be due to the imperfect reference standard of SBI. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a new classification algorithm for biomarker discovery in children at risk of SBI. Methods: We used data from five previously published, prospective observational biomarker discovery studies, which included patients aged 0- <16 years: the Alder Hey emergency department (n = 1,120), Alder Hey pediatric intensive care unit (n = 355), Erasmus emergency department (n = 1,993), Maasstad emergency department (n = 714) and St. Mary's hospital (n = 200) cohorts. Biomarkers including procalcitonin (PCT) (4 cohorts), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin-2 (NGAL) (3 cohorts) and resistin (2 cohorts) were compared for their ability to classify patients according to current standards (dichotomous classification of SBI vs. non-SBI), vs. a proposed PERFORM classification algorithm that assign patients to one of eleven categories. These categories were based on clinical phenotype, test outcomes and C-reactive protein level and accounted for the uncertainty of final diagnosis in many febrile children. The success of the biomarkers was measured by the Area under the receiver operating Curves (AUCs) when they were used individually or in combination. Results: Using the new PERFORM classification system, patients with clinically confident bacterial diagnosis ("definite bacterial" category) had significantly higher levels of PCT, NGAL and resistin compared with those with a clinically confident viral diagnosis ("definite viral" category). Patients with diagnostic uncertainty had biomarker concentrations that varied across the spectrum. AUCs were higher for classification of "definite bacterial" vs. "definite viral" following the PERFORM algorithm than using the "SBI" vs. "non-SBI" classification; summary AUC for PCT was 0.77 (95% CI 0.72-0.82) vs. 0.70 (95% CI 0.65-0.75); for NGAL this was 0.80 (95% CI 0.69-0.91) vs. 0.70 (95% CI 0.58-0.81); for resistin this was 0.68 (95% CI 0.61-0.75) vs. 0.64 (0.58-0.69) The three biomarkers combined had summary AUC of 0.83 (0.77-0.89) for "definite bacterial" vs. "definite viral" infections and 0.71 (0.67-0.74) for "SBI" vs. "non-SBI." Conclusion: Biomarkers of bacterial infection were strongly associated with the diagnostic categories using the PERFORM classification system in five independent cohorts. Our proposed algorithm provides a novel framework for phenotyping children with suspected or confirmed infection for future biomarker studies.

An analysis of clinical predictive values for radiographic pneumonia in children

Introduction

Healthcare providers in resource-limited settings rely on the presence of tachypnoea and chest indrawing to establish a diagnosis of pneumonia in children. We aimed to determine the test characteristics of commonly assessed signs and symptoms for the radiographic diagnosis of pneumonia in children 0–59 months of age.

Methods

We conducted an analysis using patient-level pooled data from 41 shared datasets of paediatric pneumonia. We included hospital-based studies in which >80% of children had chest radiography performed. Primary endpoint pneumonia (presence of dense opacity occupying a portion or entire lobe of the lung or presence of pleural effusion on chest radiograph) was used as the reference criterion radiographic standard. We assessed the sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios for clinical findings, and combinations of findings, for the diagnosis of primary endpoint pneumonia among children 0–59 months of age.

Results

Ten studies met inclusion criteria comprising 15 029 children; 24.9% (n=3743) had radiographic pneumonia. The presence of age-based tachypnoea demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.92 and a specificity of 0.22 while lower chest indrawing revealed a sensitivity of 0.74 and specificity of 0.15 for the diagnosis of radiographic pneumonia. The sensitivity and specificity for oxygen saturation <90% was 0.40 and 0.67, respectively, and was 0.17 and 0.88 for oxygen saturation <85%. Specificity was improved when individual clinical factors such as tachypnoea, fever and hypoxaemia were combined, however, the sensitivity was lower.

Conclusions

No single sign or symptom was strongly associated with radiographic primary end point pneumonia in children. Performance characteristics were improved by combining individual signs and symptoms.

Diagnosing community-acquired pneumonia via a smartphone-based algorithm: a prospective cohort study in primary and acute-care consultations

BACKGROUND

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an essential consideration in patients presenting to primary care with respiratory symptoms; however, accurate diagnosis is difficult when clinical and radiological examinations are not possible, such as during telehealth consultations.

AIM

To develop and test a smartphone-based algorithm for diagnosing CAP without need for clinical examination or radiological inputs.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A prospective cohort study using data from participants aged >12 years presenting with acute respiratory symptoms to a hospital in Western Australia.

METHOD

Five cough audio-segments were recorded and four patient-reported symptoms (fever, acute cough, productive cough, and age) were analysed by the smartphone-based algorithm to generate an immediate diagnostic output for CAP. Independent cohorts were recruited to train and test the accuracy of the algorithm. Diagnostic agreement was calculated against the confirmed discharge diagnosis of CAP by specialist physicians. Specialist radiologists reported medical imaging.

RESULTS

The smartphone-based algorithm had high percentage agreement (PA) with the clinical diagnosis of CAP in the total cohort (n = 322, positive PA [PPA] = 86.2%, negative PA [NPA] = 86.5%, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.95); in participants 22-<65 years (n = 192, PPA = 85.7%, NPA = 87.0%, AUC = 0.94), and in participants aged ≥65 years (n = 86, PPA = 85.7%, NPA = 87.5%, AUC = 0.94). Agreement was preserved across CAP severity: 85.1% (n = 80/94) of participants with CRB-65 scores 1 or 2, and 87.7% (n = 57/65) with a score of 0, were correctly diagnosed by the algorithm.

CONCLUSION

The algorithm provides rapid and accurate diagnosis of CAP. It offers improved accuracy over current protocols when clinical evaluation is difficult. It provides increased capabilities for primary and acute care, including telehealth services, required during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Performance of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of pediatric pneumonia in Mozambique and Pakistan

INTRODUCTION

Improved pneumonia diagnostics are needed in low-resource settings (LRS); lung ultrasound (LUS) is a promising diagnostic technology for pneumonia. The objective was to compare LUS versus chest radiograph (CXR), and among LUS interpreters, to compare expert versus limited training with respect to interrater reliability.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, observational study among children with World Health Organization (WHO) Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) chest-indrawing pneumonia at two district hospitals in Mozambique and Pakistan, and assessed LUS and CXR examinations. The primary endpoint was interrater reliability between LUS and CXR interpreters for pneumonia diagnosis among children with WHO IMCI chest-indrawing pneumonia.

RESULTS

Interrater reliability was excellent for expert LUS interpreters, but poor to moderate for expert CXR interpreters and onsite LUS interpreters with limited training.

CONCLUSIONS

Among children with WHO IMCI chest-indrawing pneumonia, expert interpreters may achieve substantially higher interrater reliability for LUS compared to CXR, and LUS showed potential as a preferred reference standard. For point-of-care LUS to be successfully implemented for the diagnosis and management of pneumonia in LRS, the clinical environment and amount of appropriate user training will need to be understood and addressed.

Evaluating antimicrobial appropriateness in a tertiary care pediatric ICU in Saudi Arabia: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Inappropriate antibiotic utilization is associated with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and a decline in antibiotic susceptibility in many pathogenic organisms isolated in intensive care units. Antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) have been recommended as a strategy to reduce and delay the impact of AMR. A crucial step in ASPs is understanding antibiotic utilization practices and quantifying the problem of inappropriate antibiotic use to support a targeted solution. We aim to characterize antibiotic utilization and determine the appropriateness of antibiotic prescription in a tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over a 6-month period. Days of therapy (DOT) and DOT per 1000 patient-days were used as measures of antibiotic consumption. The appropriateness of antibiotic use was assessed by two independent pediatric infectious disease physicians based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 12-step Campaign to prevent antimicrobial resistance among hospitalized children.

Results

During the study period, 497 patients were admitted to the PICU, accounting for 3009 patient-days. A total of 274 antibiotic courses were administered over 2553 antibiotic days. Forty-eight percent of antibiotic courses were found to be nonadherent to at least 1 CDC step. The top reasons were inappropriate antibiotic choice (empirical or definitive) and inappropriate prophylaxis durations. Cefazolin and vancomycin contributed to the highest percentage of inappropriate DOTs.

Conclusions

Antibiotic consumption was high with significant inappropriate utilization. These data could inform decision-making in antimicrobial stewardship programs and strategies. The CDC steps provide a more objective tool and limit biases when assessing antibiotic appropriateness

Digital auscultation in PERCH: Associations with chest radiography and pneumonia mortality in children

BACKGROUND

Whether digitally recorded lung sounds are associated with radiographic pneumonia or clinical outcomes among children in low-income and middle-income countries is unknown. We sought to address these knowledge gaps.

METHODS

We enrolled 1 to 59monthold children hospitalized with pneumonia at eight African and Asian Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health sites in six countries, recorded digital stethoscope lung sounds, obtained chest radiographs, and collected clinical outcomes. Recordings were processed and classified into binary categories positive or negative for adventitial lung sounds. Listening and reading panels classified recordings and radiographs. Recording classification associations with chest radiographs with World Health Organization (WHO)-defined primary endpoint pneumonia (radiographic pneumonia) or mortality were evaluated. We also examined case fatality among risk strata.

RESULTS

Among children without WHO danger signs, wheezing (without crackles) had a lower adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for radiographic pneumonia (0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15, 0.82), compared to children with normal recordings. Neither crackle only (no wheeze) (aOR: 2.13, 95% CI: 0.91, 4.96) or any wheeze (with or without crackle) (aOR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.34, 1.15) were associated with radiographic pneumonia. Among children with WHO danger signs no lung recording classification was independently associated with radiographic pneumonia, although trends toward greater odds of radiographic pneumonia were observed among children classified with crackle only (no wheeze) or any wheeze (with or without crackle). Among children without WHO danger signs, those with recorded wheezing had a lower case fatality than those without wheezing (3.8% vs. 9.1%, p = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

Among lower risk children without WHO danger signs digitally recorded wheezing is associated with a lower odds for radiographic pneumonia and with lower mortality. Although further research is needed, these data indicate that with further development digital auscultation may eventually contribute to child pneumonia care.

Clinical impact of rapid viral respiratory panel testing on pediatric critical care of patients with acute lower respiratory infection

BACKGROUND

We aimed to determine the impact of utilizing a rapid panel test of respiratory viral and atypical bacteria (FilmArray® Respiratory Panel, FA RP) on etiological diagnosis of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) and antimicrobial stewardship in critical care pediatric patients.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study of patients aged<18 years with clinical diagnosis of ALRI that were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of Hospital Sant Joan de Deu (Barcelona, Spain) during December 2015-February 2017. Patients were diagnosed by FA RP and by a bundle of routine microbiological assays.

RESULTS

ALRI viral and bacterial etiology was confirmed by a composite reference standard of routine microbiological assays in 72 (55.4%) and 15 (11.5%) respiratory samples, respectively, that were collected from 130 children (median age, 3.5 months, IQR 1.1-14.8 months; 54.6% male). Comparatively, FA RP use increased etiological confirmation of ALRI in up to 123 (94.6%) samples (p<0.001) but only determined a bacterial origin in 2 (1.5%). Availability of diagnostic results before patient discharge from the PICU rose from 65.4 to 38.5% (p<0.001). Use of the new panel test directly influenced antimicrobial stewardship in 11 (8.4%) episodes, leading to discontinuation of antiviral drugs (n=5), administration of targeted antibiotics (n=3), antiviral therapy start (n=2) and both targeted antibiotic administration and discontinuation of antiviral drugs (n=1).

CONCLUSION

FA RP contributed to improve etiological diagnosis of ALRI in a timely manner while enhancing a more rational use of antimicrobial drugs in critical care pediatric patients.

Use of saliva sample to detect C-reactive protein in children with pneumonia

BACKGROUND

Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is a sensitive biomarker for inflammation and is broadly used to clinically diagnose infectious diseases, including pneumonia. However, blood sampling is fraught with technical difficulties in children. The salivary analysis may be a potential diagnostic tool, as it is noninvasive, patient-friendly, and easy to perform in children. This study aimed to evaluate the use of salivary CRP as a biomarker for children with pneumonia.

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted in patients aged 2 to 17 years, admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Saliva and serum samples for CRP and chemokine determination were collected at the initial admission and during a follow-up from pediatric patients with pneumonia. Salivary samples were also collected from healthy subjects used as controls.

RESULTS

A total of 60 healthy children and 106 pediatric patients with pneumonia were enrolled in this study. The salivary CRP level was much higher in pediatric patients with pneumonia than in healthy children (48.77 ± 5.52 ng/mL vs 14.78 ± 3.92 ng/mL; P < .001). Salivary CRP level was highly correlated with serum CRP level in pediatric patients with pneumonia (r = .679; P < .001). Salivary CRP level (≥40.307 ng/mL) can be used to predict high serum CRP levels (≥80 mg/L) with an area under the curve of 0.810 (95% confidence interval, 0.740-0.881). As pneumonia improved, both salivary and serum CRP levels decreased during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Salivary CRP could be an alternative biomarker for serum CRP in pediatric patients with pneumonia. This is especially beneficial for pediatric patients, as saliva collection is simple, noninvasive, and patient-friendly.

International Survey on Determinants of Antibiotic Duration and Discontinuation in Pediatric Critically Ill Patients

OBJECTIVES

We hypothesized that antibiotic use in PICUs is based on criteria not always supported by evidence. We aimed to describe determinants of empiric antibiotic use in PICUs in eight different countries.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

PICUs in Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Thailand, and Brazil.

SUBJECTS

Pediatric intensivists.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

We used literature review and focus groups to develop the survey and its clinical scenarios (pneumonia, septic shock, meningitis, and intra-abdominal infections) in which cultures were unreliable due to antibiotic pretreatment. Data analyses included descriptive statistics and linear regression with bootstrapped SEs. Overall response rate was 39% (482/1,251), with individual country response rates ranging from 25% to 76%. Respondents in all countries prolonged antibiotic duration based on patient characteristics, disease severity, pathogens, and radiologic findings (from a median increase of 1.8 d [95% CI, 0.5-4.0 d] to 9.5 d [95% CI, 8.5-10.5 d]). Younger age, severe disease, and ventilator-associated pneumonia prolonged antibiotic treatment duration despite a lack of evidence for such practices. No variables were reported to shorten treatment duration for all countries. Importantly, more than 39% of respondents would use greater than or equal to 7 days of antibiotics for patients with a positive viral polymerase chain reaction test in all scenarios, except in France for pneumonia (29%), septic shock (13%), and meningitis (6%). The use of elevated levels of inflammatory markers to prolong antibiotic treatment duration varied among different countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Antibiotic-related decisions are complex and may be influenced by cultural and contextual factors. Evidence-based criteria are necessary to guide antibiotic duration and ensure the rational use of antibiotics in PICUs.

[Guidelines for the Management of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Children and Adolescents (Pediatric Community Acquired Pneumonia, pCAP) - Issued under the Responsibility of the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI) and the German Society for Pediatric Pulmonology (GPP)]

The present guideline aims to improve the evidence-based management of children and adolescents with pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (pCAP). Despite a prevalence of approx. 300 cases per 100 000 children per year in Central Europe, mortality is very low. Prevention includes infection control measures and comprehensive immunization. The diagnosis can and should be established clinically by history, physical examination and pulse oximetry, with fever and tachypnea as cardinal features. Additional signs or symptoms such as severely compromised general condition, poor feeding, dehydration, altered consciousness or seizures discriminate subjects with severe pCAP from those with non-severe pCAP. Within an age-dependent spectrum of infectious agents, bacterial etiology cannot be reliably differentiated from viral or mixed infections by currently available biomarkers. Most children and adolescents with non-severe pCAP and oxygen saturation > 92 % can be managed as outpatients without laboratory/microbiology workup or imaging. Anti-infective agents are not generally indicated and can be safely withheld especially in children of young age, with wheeze or other indices suggesting a viral origin. For calculated antibiotic therapy, aminopenicillins are the preferred drug class with comparable efficacy of oral (amoxicillin) and intravenous administration (ampicillin). Follow-up evaluation after 48 - 72 hours is mandatory for the assessment of clinical course, treatment success and potential complications such as parapneumonic pleural effusion or empyema, which may necessitate alternative or add-on therapy.

Combined influence of practice guidelines and prospective audit and feedback stewardship on antimicrobial treatment of community-acquired pneumonia and empyema in children: 2012 to 2016

Background

Aminopenicillins are recommended empiric therapy for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The aim of the study was to assess treatment over a 5-year period after CAP guideline publication and introduction of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP).

Methods

Using ICD-10 discharge codes for pneumonia, children less than 18 years admitted to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016 were identified. Children ≥ 2 months with consolidation were included. One day of therapy (DOT) was one or more doses of an antimicrobial given for 1 day.

Results

Of 1,707 patients identified, 713 met inclusion criteria. Eighteen (2.5%) had bacteria identified by culture and 79 of 265 (29.8%) had Mycoplasma pneumoniae detected. Mean DOT/1,000 patient days of aminopenicillins/penicillin (AAP) increased by 18.1% per year (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.2, 39.9%) and decreased by 37.6% per year (95% CI -56.1, -11.3%) for second- and third-generation cephalosporins in the post-ASP period. The duration of discharge antimicrobials decreased. Of 74 (10.4%) patients who had pleural fluid drained, 35 (47.3%) received more than 5 days of AAP and ≤ 5 days of second-/third-generation cephalosporins with no difference in median length of stay nor mean duration of antimicrobials.

Conclusions

Implementation of CAP management guidelines followed by prospective audit and feedback stewardship was associated with a sustained decrease in the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in childhood CAP. Use of AAP should also be strongly considered in patients with effusions (even if no pathogen is identified), as clinical outcome appears similar to patients treated with broad-spectrum antimicrobials.

Interpretation of pediatric chest radiographs by non-radiologist clinicians in Botswana using World Health Organization criteria for endpoint pneumonia

BACKGROUND

In low- and middle-income countries, chest radiographs are most frequently interpreted by non-radiologist clinicians.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the reliability of chest radiograph interpretations performed by non-radiologist clinicians in Botswana and conducted an educational intervention aimed at improving chest radiograph interpretation accuracy among non-radiologist clinicians.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We recruited non-radiologist clinicians at a referral hospital in Gaborone, Botswana, to interpret de-identified chest radiographs for children with clinical pneumonia. We compared their interpretations with those of two board-certified pediatric radiologists in the United States. We evaluated associations between level of medical training and the accuracy of chest radiograph findings between groups, using logistic regression and kappa statistics. We then developed an in-person training intervention led by a pediatric radiologist. We asked participants to interpret 20 radiographs before and immediately after the intervention, and we compared their responses to those of the facilitating radiologist. For both objectives, our primary outcome was the identification of primary endpoint pneumonia, defined by the World Health Organization as presence of endpoint consolidation or endpoint effusion.

RESULTS

Twenty-two clinicians interpreted chest radiographs in the primary objective; there were no significant associations between level of training and correct identification of endpoint pneumonia; concordance between respondents and radiologists was moderate (κ=0.43). After the training intervention, participants improved agreement with the facilitating radiologist for endpoint pneumonia from fair to moderate (κ=0.34 to κ=0.49).

CONCLUSION

Non-radiologist clinicians in Botswana do not consistently identify key chest radiographic findings of pneumonia. A targeted training intervention might improve non-radiologist clinicians' ability to interpret chest radiographs.

Antibiotic Use and Outcomes in Children in the Emergency Department With Suspected Pneumonia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Antibiotic therapy is often prescribed for suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children despite a lack of knowledge of causative pathogen. Our objective in this study was to investigate the association between antibiotic prescription and treatment failure in children with suspected CAP who are discharged from the hospital emergency department (ED).

METHODS

We performed a prospective cohort study of children (ages 3 months-18 years) who were discharged from the ED with suspected CAP. The primary exposure was antibiotic receipt or prescription. The primary outcome was treatment failure (ie, hospitalization after being discharged from the ED, return visit with antibiotic initiation or change, or antibiotic change within 7-15 days from the ED visit). The secondary outcomes included parent-reported quality-of-life measures. Propensity score matching was used to limit potential bias attributable to treatment selection between children who did and did not receive an antibiotic prescription.

RESULTS

Of 337 eligible children, 294 were matched on the basis of propensity score. There was no statistical difference in treatment failure between children who received antibiotics and those who did not (odds ratio 1.0; 95% confidence interval 0.45-2.2). There was no difference in the proportion of children with return visits with hospitalization (3.4% with antibiotics versus 3.4% without), initiation and/or change of antibiotics (4.8% vs 6.1%), or parent-reported quality-of-life measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Among children with suspected CAP, the outcomes were not statistically different between those who did and did not receive an antibiotic prescription.

Molecular Diagnosis of Pneumonia Using Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay RespiFinder® SMART 22 FAST in a Group of Moroccan Infants

Background

In Morocco, pediatric pneumonia remains a serious public health problem, as it constitutes the first cause of mortality due to infectious diseases. The etiological diagnosis of acute respiratory tract infections is difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to use Multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay tests in a routine setting for exact and fast identification.

Objectives

In this paper, we present the clinical results of pediatric pneumonia and describe their etiology by using molecular diagnosis. Study design: Tracheal secretion was collected from infants presenting respiratory distress isolated or associated with systemic signs, attending the unit of Neonatology between December 1, 2016, and Mai 31, 2018. Samples were tested with the multiplex RespiFinder® SMART 22 FAST which potentially detects 18 viruses and 4 bacteria.

Results

Of the 86 infants considered in this study (mean age 31 ± 19 days) suspected of acute respiratory tract infections, 71 (83%) were positive for one or multiple viruses or/and bacteria. The majority of acute respiratory tract infections had a viral origin (95%): respiratory syncytial viruses (A and B) (49%), rhinovirus (21%), coronaviruses 229E (11%), humain metapneumovirus (5%), influenza A (3%), influenza H1N1 (1%), adenovirus (2%), and parainfluenza virus type 4 (2%). Among our patients, 6% had Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Coinfections were not associated with severe respiratory symptoms.

Conclusion

The clinical spectrum of respiratory infections is complex and often nonspecific. Thus, the early and fast detection of related causative agents is crucial. The use of multiplex real time polymerase chain reaction may help choose an accurate treatment, reduce the overall use of unnecessary antibiotics, preserve intestinal flora, and decrease nosocomial infection by reducing the length of hospitalization.

New insights into pediatric community-acquired pneumonia gained from untargeted metabolomics: A preliminary study

BACKGROUND

Available diagnostics often fail to distinguish viral from bacterial causes of pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (pCAP). Metabolomics, which aims at characterizing diseases based on their metabolic signatures, has been applied to expand pathophysiological understanding of many diseases. In this exploratory study, we used the untargeted metabolomic analysis to shed new light on the etiology of pCAP.

METHODS

Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to quantify the metabolite content of urine samples collected from children hospitalized for CAP of pneumococcal or viral etiology, ascertained using a conservative algorithm combining microbiological and biochemical data.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine children with CAP were enrolled over 16 months. Pneumococcal and viral cases were distinguished by means of a multivariate model based on 93 metabolites, 20 of which were identified and considered as putative biomarkers. Among these, six metabolites belonged to the adrenal steroid synthesis and degradation pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

This preliminary study suggests that viral and pneumococcal pneumonia differently affect the systemic metabolome, with a stronger disruption of the adrenal steroid pathway in pneumococcal pneumonia. This finding may lead to the discovery of novel diagnostic biomarkers and bring us closer to personalized therapy for pCAP.

Challenges in the diagnosis of paediatric pneumonia in intervention field trials: recommendations from a pneumonia field trial working group

Pneumonia is a leading killer of children younger than 5 years despite high vaccination coverage, improved nutrition, and widespread implementation of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses algorithm. Assessing the effect of interventions on childhood pneumonia is challenging because the choice of case definition and surveillance approach can affect the identification of pneumonia substantially. In anticipation of an intervention trial aimed to reduce childhood pneumonia by lowering household air pollution, we created a working group to provide recommendations regarding study design and implementation. We suggest to, first, select a standard case definition that combines acute (≤14 days) respiratory symptoms and signs and general danger signs with ancillary tests (such as chest imaging and pulse oximetry) to improve pneumonia identification; second, to prioritise active hospital-based pneumonia surveillance over passive case finding or home-based surveillance to reduce the risk of non-differential misclassification of pneumonia and, as a result, a reduced effect size in a randomised trial; and, lastly, to consider longitudinal follow-up of children younger than 1 year, as this age group has the highest incidence of severe pneumonia.

Performance of prediction rules and guidelines in detecting serious bacterial infections among Tanzanian febrile children

Background

Health-workers in developing countries rely on clinical algorithms, such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI), for the management of patients, including diagnosis of serious bacterial infections (SBI). The diagnostic accuracy of IMCI in detecting children with SBI is unknown. Prediction rules and guidelines for SBI from well-resourced countries at outpatient level may help to improve current guidelines; however, their diagnostic performance has not been evaluated in resource-limited countries, where clinical conditions, access to care, and diagnostic capacity differ. The aim of this study was to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of existing prediction rules and clinical guidelines in identifying children with SBI in a cohort of febrile children attending outpatient health facilities in Tanzania.

Methods

Structured literature review to identify available prediction rules and guidelines aimed at detecting SBI and retrospective, external validation on a dataset containing 1005 febrile Tanzanian children with acute infections. The reference standard, SBI, was established based on rigorous clinical and microbiological criteria.

Results

Four prediction rules and five guidelines, including IMCI, could be validated. All examined rules and guidelines had insufficient diagnostic accuracy for ruling-in or ruling-out SBI with positive and negative likelihood ratios ranging from 1.04–1.87 to 0.47–0.92, respectively. IMCI had a sensitivity of 36.7% (95% CI 29.4–44.6%) at a specificity of 70.3% (67.1–73.4%). Rules that use a combination of clinical and laboratory testing had better performance compared to rules and guidelines using only clinical and or laboratory elements.

Conclusions

Currently applied guidelines for managing children with febrile illness have insufficient diagnostic accuracy in detecting children with SBI. Revised clinical algorithms including simple point-of-care tests with improved accuracy for detecting SBI targeting in tropical resource-poor settings are needed. They should undergo careful external validation against clinical outcome before implementation, given the inherent limitations of gold standards for SBI.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12879-019-4371-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A prospective multicentre study testing the diagnostic accuracy of an automated cough sound centred analytic system for the identification of common respiratory disorders in children

BACKGROUND

The differential diagnosis of paediatric respiratory conditions is difficult and suboptimal. Existing diagnostic algorithms are associated with significant error rates, resulting in misdiagnoses, inappropriate use of antibiotics and unacceptable morbidity and mortality. Recent advances in acoustic engineering and artificial intelligence have shown promise in the identification of respiratory conditions based on sound analysis, reducing dependence on diagnostic support services and clinical expertise. We present the results of a diagnostic accuracy study for paediatric respiratory disease using an automated cough-sound analyser.

METHODS

We recorded cough sounds in typical clinical environments and the first five coughs were used in analyses. Analyses were performed using cough data and up to five-symptom input derived from patient/parent-reported history. Comparison was made between the automated cough analyser diagnoses and consensus clinical diagnoses reached by a panel of paediatricians after review of hospital charts and all available investigations.

RESULTS

A total of 585 subjects aged 29 days to 12 years were included for analysis. The Positive Percent and Negative Percent Agreement values between the automated analyser and the clinical reference were as follows: asthma (97, 91%); pneumonia (87, 85%); lower respiratory tract disease (83, 82%); croup (85, 82%); bronchiolitis (84, 81%).

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that this technology has a role as a high-level diagnostic aid in the assessment of common childhood respiratory disorders.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (retrospective) - ACTRN12618001521213 : 11.09.2018.

Clinical features for diagnosis of pneumonia among adults in primary care setting: A systematic and meta-review

Pneumonia results in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, chest radiography may not be accessible in primary care setting. We aimed to evaluate clinical features and its diagnostic value to identify pneumonia among adults in primary care settings. Three academic databases were searched and included studies that assessed clinical predictors of pneumonia, adults without serious illness, have CXR and have conducted in primary care settings. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio of each index test and the pool estimates for index tests. We identified 2,397 articles, of which 13 articles were included. In our meta-analysis, clinical features with the best pooled positive likelihood ratios were respiratory rate ≥20 min⁻¹ (3.47; 1.46–7.23), temperature ≥38 °C (3.21; 2.36–4.23), pulse rate >100 min⁻¹ (2.79; 1.71–4.33), and crackles (2.42; 1.19–4.69). Laboratory testing showed highest pooled positive likelihood ratios with PCT >0.25 ng/ml (7.61; 3.28–15.1) and CRP > 20 mg/l (3.76; 2.3–5.91). Cough, pyrexia, tachycardia, tachypnea, and crackles are limited as a single predictor for diagnosis of radiographic pneumonia among adults. Development of clinical decision rule that combine these clinical features together with molecular biomarkers may further increase overall accuracy for diagnosis of radiographic pneumonia among adults in primary care setting.

Chest radiograph reading panel performance in a Bangladesh pneumococcal vaccine effectiveness study

Introduction

To evaluate WHO chest radiograph interpretation processes during a pneumococcal vaccine effectiveness study of children aged 3–35 months with suspected pneumonia in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Methods

Eight physicians masked to all data were standardised to WHO methodology and interpreted chest radiographs between 2015 and 2017. Each radiograph was randomly assigned to two primary readers. If the primary readers were discordant for image interpretability or the presence or absence of primary endpoint pneumonia (PEP), then another randomly selected, masked reader adjudicated the image (arbitrator). If the arbitrator disagreed with both primary readers, or concluded no PEP, then a masked expert reader finalised the interpretation. The expert reader also conducted blinded quality control (QC) for 20% of randomly selected images. We evaluated agreement between primary readers and between the expert QC reading and the final panel interpretation using per cent agreement, unadjusted Cohen’s kappa, and a prevalence and bias-adjusted kappa.

Results

Among 9723 images, the panel classified 21.3% as PEP, 77.6% no PEP and 1.1% uninterpretable. Two primary readers agreed on interpretability for 98% of images (kappa, 0.25; prevalence and bias-adjusted kappa, 0.97). Among interpretable radiographs, primary readers agreed on the presence or absence of PEP in 79% of images (kappa, 0.35; adjusted kappa, 0.57). Expert QC readings agreed with final panel conclusions on the presence or absence of PEP for 92.9% of 1652 interpretable images (kappa, 0.75; adjusted kappa, 0.85).

Conclusion

Primary reader performance and QC results suggest the panel effectively applied the WHO chest radiograph criteria for pneumonia.

Expert panel diagnosis demonstrated high reproducibility as reference standard in infectious diseases

OBJECTIVE

If a gold standard is lacking in a diagnostic test accuracy study, expert diagnosis is frequently used as reference standard. However, interobserver and intraobserver agreements are imperfect. The aim of this study was to quantify the reproducibility of a panel diagnosis for pediatric infectious diseases.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Pediatricians from six countries adjudicated a diagnosis (i.e., bacterial infection, viral infection, or indeterminate) for febrile children. Diagnosis was reached when the majority of panel members came to the same diagnosis, leaving others inconclusive. We evaluated intraobserver and intrapanel agreement with 6 weeks and 3 years' time intervals. We calculated the proportion of inconclusive diagnosis for a three-, five-, and seven-expert panel.

RESULTS

For both time intervals (i.e., 6 weeks and 3 years), intrapanel agreement was higher (kappa 0.88, 95%CI: 0.81-0.94 and 0.80, 95%CI: NA) compared to intraobserver agreement (kappa 0.77, 95%CI: 0.71-0.83 and 0.65, 95%CI: 0.52-0.78). After expanding the three-expert panel to five or seven experts, the proportion of inconclusive diagnoses (11%) remained the same.

CONCLUSION

A panel consisting of three experts provides more reproducible diagnoses than an individual expert in children with lower respiratory tract infection or fever without source. Increasing the size of a panel beyond three experts has no major advantage for diagnosis reproducibility.

Antibiotic prescription for febrile children in European emergency departments: a cross-sectional, observational study

BACKGROUND

Prevalence of serious bacterial infections in children in countries in western Europe and the USA is low. Antibiotic stewardship aims at a more rational use of antibiotics but information on the frequency of antibiotic prescription to children in emergency departments is scarce. We aimed to quantify and explain variability in antibiotic prescription in children attending European paediatric emergency departments.

METHODS

We did a cross-sectional, observational study of children aged between 1 month and 16 years who presented with fever to one of 28 European emergency departments on one random sampling day per month between Nov 1, 2014, and Feb 28, 2016. The surveyed sites were spread across 11 countries and included 17 academic hospitals with 3000 to up to 80 000 annual visits to their paediatric emergency departments. We determined the proportion of children without comorbidities who received antibiotic prescriptions by country, focus of infection, and type of antibiotic. We then did a detailed analysis of the same population, using a multilevel logistic regression analysis, into the variability in prescriptions across hospitals, focusing particularly on respiratory tract infections and correcting for a combination of result-dependent factors. Random group assignment was done by computer randomisation.

FINDINGS

Of 5177 children in total, 617 children had comorbidities. Of the 4560 children without comorbidities, 1454 (32%) received antibiotics. This percentage varied from 19% to 64% across countries. Of these 1454 prescriptions issued, 893 (61%) were second-line antibiotics. Antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections, the most common infection type, in children without comorbidities was most variable across countries (15-67% for upper respiratory tract infections and 24-87% for lower respiratory tract infections) and was associated with age (odds ratio [OR] 1·51, 95% CI 1·08-2·13), fever duration (OR 1·45, 1·01-2·07), blood concentrations of C-reactive protein (OR 2·31, 1·67-3·19), and chest x-ray results (OR 10·62, 5·65-19·94, for focal abnormalities; OR 3·49, 1·59-7·64, for diffuse abnormalities). After correcting for patient characteristics, diagnostic assessment, and hospital characteristics, antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections remained highly variable across emergency departments (standardised antibiotic prescription ratio 0·49-2·04).

INTERPRETATION

Antibiotic prescription in European emergency departments is highly variable, with frequent use of second-line antibiotics. To ensure successful antibiotic stewardship initiatives in Europe aimed at reducing unnecessary prescription of antibiotics, variability of prescription across hospitals should be considered, drivers of suboptimal antibiotic prescription at the local level need to be identified, and European guidelines need to be devised.

FUNDING

None.

Lung ultrasound in diagnosing pneumonia in childhood: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Pneumonia is the third leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age worldwide. In pediatrics, both the accuracy and safety of diagnostic tools are important. Lung ultrasound (LUS) could be a safe diagnostic tool for this reason. We searched in the literature for diagnostic studies about LUS to predict pneumonia in pediatric patients using systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

The Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, SPORTDiscus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases from inception to September 2017 were searched. All studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of LUS in determining the presence of pneumonia in patients under 18 years of age were included.

RESULTS

1042 articles were found by systematic search. 76 articles were assessed for eligibility. Seventeen studies were included in the systematic review. We included 2612 pooled cases. The age of the pooled sample population ranged from 0 to about 21 years old. Summary sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 0.94 (IQR: 0.89-0.97), 0.93 (IQR: 0.86-0.98), and 0.98 (IQR: 0.94-0.99), respectively. No agreement on reference standard was detected: nine studies used chest X-rays, while four studies considered the clinical diagnosis. Only one study used computed tomography.

CONCLUSIONS

LUS seems to be a promise tool for diagnosing pneumonia in children. However, the high heterogeneity found across the individual studies, and the absence of a reliable reference standard, make the finding questionable. More methodologically rigorous studies are needed.

Cytokine kinetic profiles in children with acute lower respiratory tract infection: a post hoc descriptive analysis from a randomized control trial

OBJECTIVES

Standard inflammatory markers and chest radiography lack the ability to discriminate bacterial from non-bacterial lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Cytokine profiles may serve as biomarkers for LRTI, but their applicability to identify aetiology, severity of disease and need for antibiotic prescription in children remains poorly defined. Objectives were to determine the cytokine kinetic profiles over 5 days in paediatric patients with LRTI, to investigate the relationship between cytokine patterns, and clinical and laboratory variables.

METHODS

We included patients aged 1 month to 18 years, with febrile LRTI and three consecutive cytokines measurements on days 1, 3 and 5 of a randomized controlled trial (ProPAED study). We evaluated differences in cytokine concentrations between days and associations with clinical and laboratory variables.

RESULTS

A total of 181 patients (median age 4.1 years) were included; 72/181 (40%) received antibiotics. Serum concentrations of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-1ra, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ-inducible protein (IP)-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α were elevated on day 1 and decreased subsequently, with the greatest decline between day 1 and 3 (by -8 to >-94%). Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) values showed a protracted decrease with the most prominent reduction in concentrations between days 3 and 5. Significantly elevated IL-6 concentrations were associated with hospital admission, antibiotic treatment, and prolonged antibiotic treatment. Bacteraemic LRTI patients had higher concentrations of IL-1ra (p <0.0055) and IL-6 (p <0.0055) on day 1.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed an earlier decrease of elevated cytokines compared to PCT or CRP. Both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines may serve as markers for severity of LRTI.

Chest Radiograph Findings in Childhood Pneumonia Cases From the Multisite PERCH Study

Background.

Chest radiographs (CXRs) are frequently used to assess pneumonia cases. Variations in CXR appearances between epidemiological settings and their correlation with clinical signs are not well documented.

Methods.

The Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health project enrolled 4232 cases of hospitalized World Health Organization (WHO)–defined severe and very severe pneumonia from 9 sites in 7 countries (Bangladesh, the Gambia, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, Thailand, and Zambia). At admission, each case underwent a standardized assessment of clinical signs and pneumonia risk factors by trained health personnel, and a CXR was taken that was interpreted using the standardized WHO methodology. CXRs were categorized as abnormal (consolidation and/or other infiltrate), normal, or uninterpretable.

Results.

CXRs were interpretable in 3587 (85%) cases, of which 1935 (54%) were abnormal (site range, 35%–64%). Cases with abnormal CXRs were more likely than those with normal CXRs to have hypoxemia (45% vs 26%), crackles (69% vs 62%), tachypnea (85% vs 80%), or fever (20% vs 16%) and less likely to have wheeze (30% vs 38%; all P < .05). CXR consolidation was associated with a higher case fatality ratio at 30-day follow-up (13.5%) compared to other infiltrate (4.7%) or normal (4.9%) CXRs.

Conclusions.

Clinically diagnosed pneumonia cases with abnormal CXRs were more likely to have signs typically associated with pneumonia. However, CXR-normal cases were common, and clinical signs considered indicative of pneumonia were present in substantial proportions of these cases. CXR-consolidation cases represent a group with an increased likelihood of death at 30 days post-discharge.