Better ways to find pneumonia in children

Precision medicine approaches in the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in children

NIH-funded research Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · NIH-11128573

This project aims to create smarter tools to help doctors quickly and accurately diagnose pneumonia in children who come to the emergency room.

Quick facts

Grant typeCareer grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionLurie Children's Hospital of Chicago NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chicago, United States)
Project IDNIH-11128573 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Pneumonia is a common and expensive illness for children, but it can be tricky for doctors to diagnose because its symptoms often look like other breathing problems. This can sometimes lead to too many or too few X-rays and antibiotics. Our goal is to develop a new, data-driven system that uses information from children's health records to help doctors make a more precise diagnosis. This system will be designed to guide doctors in the emergency room, ensuring children get the right care faster.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: This research focuses on improving care for children aged 0-11 years who are suspected of having community-acquired pneumonia.

Not a fit: Patients who do not have symptoms of community-acquired pneumonia or are outside the pediatric age range would not directly benefit from this specific diagnostic tool.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more accurate and timely diagnoses of pneumonia in children, potentially reducing unnecessary tests and antibiotic use.

How similar studies have performed: There is currently a lack of validated tools to guide the diagnosis of pneumonia in children, making this a novel and much-needed approach.

Where this research is happening

Chicago, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Airway infections
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.