Improving care for children with pneumonia using new diagnostic tools

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 study aims to optimize the treatment of children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) by evaluating the effectiveness of the MeMed BV biomarker assay. The trial will compare the outcomes of children receiving the MeMed BV test alongside usual care versus those receiving usual care alone. The goal is to identify children with viral pneumonia who do not require antibiotics, thereby reducing unnecessary antibiotic use and potential harm. This feasibility randomized trial will help determine if the biomarker can improve antibiotic prescribing practices in pediatric patients.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* children with a history of fever who are hospitalized with CAP (ie. 'severe CAP') as per the clinical team and who have abnormal chest imaging (eg. radiograph, ultrasound) will be eligible. They must also have at least one of the following:

  1. documented tachypnoea (\>60 bpm for age \<1 y, \>50 bpm for 1-2 y, \>40 bpm for 2-4 y, and \>30 bpm for \>4 y);
  2. cough on exam or by history;
  3. increased work of breathing on exam; or
  4. auscultatory findings (eg. focal crackles, bronchial breathing) consistent with CAP.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Children will be excluded from if they have received \>48h of intravenous antibiotics (eg. if transferred from another healthcare facility) or if they have a lobar consolidation that occupies the majority of a lobe on imaging, a pleural effusion that occupies more than ¼ of a lung field, or a positive blood culture for a bacterial pathogen (not a contaminant). Examples of CAP pathogens include S. pneumoniae, S. pyogenes (group A streptococcus), S. aureus, S. anginosus. Examples of contaminants that would be ignored include the coagulase-negative staphylococci and Bacillus spp. Children will also be excluded if they have any of the following: chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease (requiring treatment or with exercise restrictions), malignancy, immunodeficiency (primary, acquired, or iatrogenic), a separate episode of pneumonia previously diagnosed within the past 2 weeks, or lung abscess diagnosed within the past six months. Children will not be eligible to participate more than once.

Where it's running

• McMaster Children's Hospital
  Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Jeffrey Pernica, MD
• Email: pernica@mcmaster.ca
• Phone: 9055212100

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

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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.