Hydrocortisone vs prednisolone for severe community-acquired pneumonia

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This cluster-randomized, phase 4 trial enrolls adults diagnosed with severe community-acquired pneumonia for whom the treating physician has decided to give corticosteroids. Participants at participating Danish hospitals are randomized to receive either hydrocortisone or prednisolone and are followed for outcomes including all-cause mortality at 30 days. Key exclusions include admission longer than 24 hours before enrollment, pregnancy or breastfeeding, active tuberculosis or fungal infection, influenza-caused pneumonia, and intolerance to the study drugs. The primary objective is to determine whether one corticosteroid leads to lower 30-day mortality or a different safety profile compared with the other.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age \> 18 years
* Diagnosis of severe CAP for who the physician in charge decides for corticosteroid therapy for severe CAP.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Admitted \>24 h
* Pregnant or breastfeeding women
* Active tuberculosis or fungal infection
* Pneumonia caused by influenza
* Intolerance to either study drug

Where it's running

• Bornholm Hospital
  Rønne, Bornholm, Denmark Recruiting
• Amager Hospital
  Copenhagen, Copenhagen City, Denmark Recruiting
• Bispebjerg Hospital
  Copenhagen, Copenhagen City, Denmark Recruiting
• Frederiksberg Hospital
  Frederiksberg, Copenhagen City, Denmark Recruiting
• Gentofte Hospital
  Hellerup, Copenhagen City, Denmark Recruiting
• Herlev Hospital
  Herlev, Copnhagen Surroundings, Denmark Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen, MD, PHD
• Email: jens.ulrik.jensen@regionh.dk
• Phone: 38673057

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Chest X-ray vs ultra-low-dose chest CT in adults with possible pneumonia in the ER

  This study tests whether an ultra-low-dose chest CT can replace chest X-ray for adults in the emergency department when pneumonia is a possibility, to see if it changes how much staff time is spent on imaging.

  Recruiting University of Southern Denmark · Aabenraa · NCT07870525

• Lefamulin Post-Market Surveillance in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

  This study follows people with community-acquired pneumonia who are being treated with lefamulin to see how it works in real-world clinical use.

  Recruiting Marubeni Pharmaceuticals (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. · Beijing, Beijing Municipality · NCT07697885

• Shortening antibiotic courses for common throat and chest infections in primary care with doctor–pharmacist teamwork and viral‑circulation updates

  This project will test whether giving primary care doctors and pharmacists extra information about circulating viruses plus a shared protocol helps shorten antibiotic courses for patients with common respiratory infections.

  Recruiting University Hospital, Caen · Caen · NCT07359287

• Improving treatment for children with community-acquired pneumonia in emergency rooms

  This project tests a new care pathway to see if emergency departments can safely give fewer antibiotics to children aged 6 months–18 years with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia who are sent home.

  Recruiting at 2 sites McMaster University · Calgary, Alberta and 5 other locations · NCT07099976

• Antibiotic strategies for young children with pneumonia in outpatient care

  This trial will see if a 'watch-and-wait' Safety Net Antibiotic Prescribing (SNAP) approach can safely reduce antibiotic use compared with immediate antibiotics in children aged 12 months to under 6 years with mild community-acquired pneumonia.

  Recruiting at 4 sites Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · Atlanta, Georgia and 3 other locations · NCT06986148

• ARGONAUT: Italian registry of pneumonia in people with weakened immune systems

  This project will collect clinical and lab data to see how community-acquired pneumonia affects hospitalized adults with weakened immune systems.

  Recruiting Societa Italiana di Pneumologia · Milan, Milano · NCT06755814

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.