Creating a score to assess the severity of pneumonia in children

Derivation and Validation of the Pediatric Community-Acquired Pneumonia Severity (PedCAPS) Score

NIH-funded research Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · NIH-11035056

This study is working on a new scoring system to help doctors understand how serious pneumonia is in kids, so they can make better choices about treatment and whether a child needs to stay in the hospital.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionLurie Children's Hospital of Chicago NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chicago, United States)
Project IDNIH-11035056 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research aims to develop and validate a scoring system to evaluate the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. By analyzing data from multiple pediatric emergency departments, the study seeks to create a reliable tool that can help healthcare providers make better decisions regarding treatment and hospitalization for children with CAP. The approach includes examining clinical variables and biomarkers to improve risk stratification and ensure that children receive appropriate care based on their individual risk levels.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0 to 18 years who present with symptoms of community-acquired pneumonia.

Not a fit: Patients with pneumonia caused by non-community-acquired factors or those outside the age range of 0 to 18 years may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more accurate assessments of pneumonia severity in children, resulting in better-targeted treatments and reduced unnecessary hospitalizations.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research in adults has shown that risk prediction tools for pneumonia can significantly improve patient outcomes, suggesting that similar approaches may be effective in children.

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.
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.