Automated digital stethoscope to guide antibiotic use for young children with pneumonia in Bangladesh
The BLAAST Trial: Bangladesh Lung Auscultation AI for Antibiotic Stewardship Randomized Controlled Trial
['FUNDING_R01'] · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · NIH-11395138
This compares care guided by an automated digital stethoscope versus standard care to help decide antibiotic use for young children with non-severe pneumonia in rural Bangladesh.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11395138 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If your child joins, they will be randomly assigned to care that either uses an automated digital stethoscope with lung-sound analytics or to standard guideline-based care, and neither families nor clinicians will know which device is active. The device has been developed and validated over ten years across multiple low- and middle-income countries and is FDA-approved for lung sound analysis. Researchers will follow low-risk children with non-severe clinical pneumonia to see if health outcomes are as good while antibiotic use is reduced. The project also includes studies of how the tool could be implemented in clinics and an economic analysis of costs and potential savings.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Low-risk children (infants and children up to about 11 years old) with non-severe clinical pneumonia presenting to participating clinics in rural Bangladesh.
Not a fit: Children with severe or high-risk pneumonia, those requiring hospital-level care, or those outside the study age range or sites are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could safely reduce unnecessary antibiotic use for children with non-severe pneumonia while maintaining good health outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: The stethoscope's lung-sound analytics have been validated across seven LMICs and the device is FDA-approved, but randomized trials showing it can safely reduce antibiotic use are limited, so this application is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES
- JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY — BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MCCOLLUM, ERIC DOUGLASS — JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: MCCOLLUM, ERIC DOUGLASS
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 below.