Promoting Optimal Treatment for Community-acquired Pneumonia in the Emergency Room (PIONEER) (PIONEER)
Community-acquired Pneumonia
About this trial
This is an interventional diagnostic trial for Community-acquired Pneumonia focused on measuring Community-Acquired Pneumonia, Diagnostics, Respiratory Viruses, Mycoplasma
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosed primarily with community-acquired pneumonia as per the ED MD and are well enough to be discharged home.
They also must have any one of:
- tachypnoea;
- cough;
- increased work of breathing; or
- auscultatory findings consistent with pneumonia;
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.
Sites / Locations
- McMaster Children's HospitalRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
No Intervention
Experimental
Standard care
Novel Care Pathway
All participants/caregivers will be asked for consent for point-of-care (POC) blood C-reactive protein (CRP), nasopharyngeal swab for virology/Mycoplasma testing, and urine for pneumococcal antigen (UAg) testing, but, since this testing will not affect care, these are optional (ie. refusal will not preclude enrolment). The RA will phone the caregiver at Day 2-5, Day 14-21, and Day 30 post-enrollment, for outcome ascertainment. Caregivers will be asked to fill out a daily diary (either electronically or on paper) to record the participant's symptoms, clinical progress, and possible drug adverse effects. Caregivers will also be instructed on how to take patient temperature. All participants whose symptoms do not progressively improve will be encouraged to return to the ED to be reassessed, as per standard of care.
Once 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.