Lung Ultrasound for Guiding Antibiotic Use in Pediatric Pneumonia

Launched by MEYER CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IRCCS · Apr 9, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying whether using lung ultrasound can help doctors decide when to prescribe antibiotics for children with pneumonia. Pneumonia is a serious lung infection that can be hard to diagnose because there isn't one clear test that works for everyone. Right now, doctors often rely on a mix of patient history and physical exams, which can sometimes lead to unnecessary antibiotic use. The goal of this study is to see if lung ultrasound, which is a safe and non-invasive imaging test that can show lung problems, can help reduce the number of children who get antibiotics when they might not need them.

To participate in this trial, children aged 3 to 10 years who are generally healthy and showing symptoms of pneumonia may be eligible. This includes signs like coughing, difficulty breathing, or fever. Children who have recently been hospitalized, are already on antibiotics, or have certain serious health conditions will not be included in the study. If your child is part of this trial, they will undergo a lung ultrasound, and the researchers will compare how this information affects treatment decisions with the usual methods doctors currently use. The hope is that this study will provide valuable insights on using lung ultrasound to better manage pediatric pneumonia and avoid unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• * Well-appearing, clinically stable patients aged 3 to 10 years, presenting to the pediatric ED with suspected pneumonia based on a combination of signs and symptoms suggestive of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), including:
• • 1. Respiratory Symptoms: Cough, Tachypnea, Dyspnea (Increased work of breathing), Abnormal findings on auscultation.
• • 2. Systemic Symptoms: Fever, Hypoxia, Decreased appetite.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Neonates and children up to 3 years of age, and children older than 10 years
• * Children aged 3 to 10 years with any of the following factors:
• • 1. Recent hospitalization (within the past 14 days)
• • 2. Prior CXR or any other chest imaging (e.g. CT scan)
• • 3. Ongoing antibiotic therapy
• • 4. Hemodynamic instability
• • 5. Respiratory failure or severe respiratory distress and/or hypoxemia, requiring urgent assessment for conditions such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, or other emergency respiratory conditions
• • 6. History of aspiration or ab ingestis pneumonia
• • 7. Underlying medical conditions predisposing to severe or recurrent pneumonia, including immunodeficiency, chronic corticosteroid use, chronic lung disease, malignancy, sickle cell disease, congenital heart disease, tracheostomy, and neuromuscular disorders affecting respiration