Antibiotic Dosing in Critically Ill Children with Pneumonia
Official title: Antibiotic Drug Exposures and Endotracheal Pharmacokinetics (DEEP)
Funded at Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-11447105 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how antibiotics reach the lungs of very sick children with bacterial pneumonia and aims to find the best dosing to treat severe infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 4, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $889,516 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI202718-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11447105 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pediatric patients (0-11 years old) who have severe bacterial lower respiratory tract infections and require care in critical or ICU settings.
✕Less likely to help
Children with viral infections or non-respiratory illnesses, or those not requiring endotracheal support, may not benefit from this study.
What this research studies
In this study, researchers will look at why antibiotic levels in the lower airways vary in critically ill kids and how those levels relate to changes in the airway bacteria and the child’s inflammation. The team will track antibiotic concentrations in the respiratory tract and connect these data to treatment outcomes and microbiome changes. By integrating clinical data with microbiology and inflammation markers, they hope to develop dosing strategies that improve pathogen clearance while preserving healthy microbes. This work could lead to more precise, effective antibiotic use for severe pediatric lung infections. The setting is a pediatric hospital with real patients receiving care for acute respiratory failure due to bacterial LRTI.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, children with severe bacterial LRTI could receive antibiotics that work more reliably at the infection site, potentially reducing recovery time and complications.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work suggests that airway antibiotic delivery and microbiome responses influence outcomes in severe pediatric infections, but optimal dosing remains unclear.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Downes, Kevin James — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Downes, Kevin James
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.