Short versus standard antifungal treatment for children with candidemia
Short Course Versus Standard Course Antifungal Therapy for Pediatric Candidemia: A Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial
This trial tests whether children with bloodstream Candida infections who improve after one week of echinocandin therapy can safely stop after a total of 7 days instead of the usual 14 days.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11403745 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child has candidemia and starts on an echinocandin antifungal, doctors will check blood cultures and clinical signs after the first week. Children who have cleared their blood and are improving may be randomly assigned to stop antifungals after one more week or continue to the standard 14-day course. The research team will follow participants for recurrence, complications, side effects, and hospital outcomes across multiple pediatric centers. The goal is to compare safety and recovery between the shorter and longer treatment schedules.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children with uncomplicated candidemia who started echinocandin therapy and show blood culture clearance and clinical improvement after the first 7 days are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children with complicated or deep-seated Candida infections, persistent positive blood cultures, or severe immunosuppression may not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit from a shorter course.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the shorter course is safe, children could avoid extra antifungal exposure, fewer side effects, and shorter hospital stays.
How similar studies have performed: Echinocandin therapy has been shown to improve outcomes and shorter antibiotic courses have worked for bacterial infections, but this is the first randomized pediatric trial directly comparing 7 versus 14 days for fungal bloodstream infection.
Where this research is happening
Little Rock, United States
- Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst — Little Rock, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Steinbach, William J — Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst
- Study coordinator: Steinbach, William J
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.