MedPath

Promoting Optimal Treatment for Community-acquired Pneumonia in the Emergency Room (PIONEER)

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Community-acquired Pneumonia
Interventions
Other: Novel Care Pathway
Registration Number
NCT05114161
Lead Sponsor
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation
Brief Summary

Pneumonia in children can be caused by different types of germs such as bacteria and viruses. Giving antibiotics to children with bacterial bugs is helpful while giving antibiotics to children with viruses will not help them. Unfortunately, it is difficult for doctors to tell when a child's pneumonia is caused by bacteria or viruses. Most young children are given antibiotics even though it doesn't help them.

Our study wants to test a new way to care for children with pneumonia so that only children who will benefit from antibiotics will receive them. The study will use a combination of the child's symptoms, x-rays results, and lab testing to better determine if a child needs antibiotics. The study team will then review the testing results and follow up with the patient and their family in the following days to ensure that the child is improving. PIONEER will test a novel care pathway for treating non-severe pediatric pneumonia with the goal of decreasing antibiotic prescription while maintaining equal clinical outcomes to standard care.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
162
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Diagnosed primarily with community-acquired pneumonia as per the ED MD and are well enough to be discharged home.

  2. They also must have any one of:

    1. tachypnoea;
    2. cough;
    3. increased work of breathing; or
    4. auscultatory findings consistent with pneumonia;
Read More
Exclusion Criteria

Children will be excluded if they have any of the following: cystic fibrosis, anatomic lung disease, bronchiectasis, congenital heart disease (requiring treatment or with exercise restrictions), history of repeated aspiration/velopharyngeal incompetence, malignancy (current or past), immunodeficiency (primary, acquired, or iatrogenic), pneumonia previously (clinically) diagnosed within the past month, or lung abscess diagnosed within the past six months. Children who present with ongoing fever after 4 or more days of beta-lactam therapy active against S. pneumoniae (ie. amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefprozil, cephalexin, cefadroxil), levofloxacin/moxifloxacin, or doxycycline will not be eligible. Children will not be eligible to participate more than once.

Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Novel Care PathwayNovel Care PathwayOnce a child is diagnosed with non-severe CAP (community-acquired pneumonia) in the ED, specific radiographic findings and point-of-care CRP testing will identify those who require antibiotic treatment immediately. The next day, results of multiplex respiratory pathogen and urine pneumococcal antigen (UAg, optional) testing will be integrated into the care plan, along with additional clinical information about the child gathered remotely, to ensure that only children at appreciable risk for bacterial infection receive antibiotics. Our care pathway uses already-available testing (NPS) in new ways, integrates newer diagnostics (point-of-care CRP, UAg), and includes properly-timed clinical follow up to change how children with non-severe CAP are managed.The research team will follow-up with the participant and caregiver the next day, 2-5 days, 7-21 days and day 30 post-enrolment to ensure clinical stability.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Treatment with antibiotics for community-acquired pneumoniaDay 0-14

The proportion of participants who receive antibiotics specifically targeting community-acquired pneumonia will be assessed at follow-up visits (as per participant caregiver report) and compared between phases of the study (control phase and intervention phase)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Level of serum procalcitonin that effectively rules out the need for antimicrobialsDay 0-30

(i.e. the level below which 97.5% of participants experience clinical cure without before prescribed antimicrobials)

Hospitalization for CAPDay 0-30
Treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy for community-acquired pneumoniaDay 0-30

The proportion of participants who receive broad-spectrum antibiotics (ie. amoxicillin/clavulanate, cephalosporins, azithromycin, fluoroquinolones) specifically targeting community-acquired pneumonia will be assessed at follow-up visits (as per participant caregiver report) and compared between phases of the study (control phase and intervention phase)

Occurence of drug-related adverse eventsDay 0-30
Caregiver satisfaction with the care planDay of enrolment, day 2-5, day 14-21 and day 30 follow-up

This will be measured using a previously validated scale (Likert scale evaluating satisfaction with each of: overall care, doctor's diagnosis, and antibiotic treatment plan)

Development of complicated CAP (ie pleural effusion or PICU admission)Day 0-30
Clinical cureDay 14-21

Cure defined by 1) symptoms improving as per caregiver report, 2) failure to be hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia, and 3) lack of receipt of additional antimicrobials specifically for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia

Number of missed days of school/daycare (participant)Day 14-21
Re-presentation to the EDDay 0-30

The number of participants in each phase with unscheduled ED visits before day 30 will be compared.

Failure to achieve clinical cure in those who have CRP<20 mg/LDay 0-30
Treatment with Mycoplasma-active antibiotics for those in whom Mycoplasma is detectedDay 0-14
Number of days of missed work (caregiver)Day 14-21
Development of complicated CAP before day 30day 0-30

(i.e. pleural effusion or PICU admission)

Unscheduled visits to primary care (eg family MD, nurse practitioner, physician assistant) before day 30 post-enrolmentDay 0-30

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

McMaster Children's Hospital

🇨🇦

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath